Arthur 2: The Quest for the Aqua Orb
by ElphieThroppDG28
Summary: One year later. Arthur is forced to visit relatives over the summer. He meets his cousin, Juno, who is in posession of powerful magic that the Evil M could use to destroy the Invisibles' world. CHECK MY PROFILE FOR UPDATES.
1. Arthur 2: The Intro by moi

**Arthur 2: The Quest for the Aqua Orb**

A/N

Hey, hey, hey, everyone! It's moi! And I'm ba-ack! (Okay, I'm gonna stop with that, cause y'all are probably freaking out right now.)

A few things before you read this:

A) The original movie (Arthur and the Invisibles) is set in 1960s Connecticut. In order for the following story to make sense, pretend that the original movie took place in 2007 (still in Connecticut), because this story takes place in 2008 (in both Connecticut and Minnesota).

B) The original movie stated that the passage to the Minimoy world can only be opened every ten moons (or every ten months). Again, in order for this story to work, we are going to pretend that the passage opens once every twelve moons (or once a year).

C) THIS STORY IS PURLEY FICTIONAL. Any real people and/or places and/or events used here are used fictitiously (I have changed all real people's names to "protect the innocent").

D) I am using parts of the plot from _The Phantom of the Opera _in the story, which I don't own. If I did, do you think I'd be writing all this? (jk…jk…)

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ARTHUR AND THE INVISIBLES OR ANY OTHER RELATED TITLES. This wonderful story belongs to Luc Besson. AND I DON'T OWN THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA NOVEL, STAGE MUSICAL OR ANY OTHER REALTED TITLES. That wonderful work belongs to...a lot of people (but the original idea is the property of Gaston Leroux, and the stage musical [from which the plot of part of the story is coming from] belongs to Andrew Lloyd Webber).

So…here's my fan-fiction sequel to Arthur and the Invisibles. Hope you like it!

-

A REVIEW OF WHERE WE'VE BEEN AND WHERE WE'RE GOING

So…let's recap what happened in "Arthur and the Invisibles":

-Arthur was able to save both the Minimoy world and his grandparents' house

-Arthur's parents and his grandfather came back

-The Evil M kinda…disappeared…

-Arthur and Selenia…well…that goes without saying

So…where is this story going, exactly?

-The Minimoys are in trouble (again!) and need Arthur's help

-But he can't help…he's in Minnesota, visiting relatives he never even knew he had

-The Evil M has gotten ahold of a mysterious power source, but can't use it just yet…he'll need someone who's related to Arthur the Hero to help him use it…someone with a lot of power…

-And the big question: who is this Juno Davidson and why is she in this?

Those questions--and more!--will be answered…


	2. The Prophecy of the Aqua Orb

THE PROPHECY OF THE AQUA ORB

_The Aqua Orb, a glowing blue orb of water magic, has been in the possession of the Minimoy people for centuries. Its purpose is very mysterious, but very powerful, and is capable of wiping out the whole Minimoy race if it falls into the wrong hands. _

_The only one who can control this sacred orb is the Guardian of the Waves, one who is a blood-relative of a great warrior/friend of the Minimoys. Only he (or she) can use the Orb's full power. Only he (or she) can choose between the path of good and evil._

_Only he (or she) will decide the fate of the world._


	3. Prologue Part One

PROLOGUE (PT. 1)

_**Minimoy's P.O.V**_

_Princess Selenia was jerked awake suddenly by violent undulations on her bed. This wouldn't have bothered her so much if her younger brother, Betameche, wasn't the one causing them, bouncing up and down on her legs._

"_Beta!" she scolded groggily, sitting up. "Would you stop that?"_

"_You gotta come! Quick!" he said, getting off the bed and scurrying to the door. _

"_Why?"_

"_The Aqua Orb is gone!"_

_--_

_The whole Minimoy kingdom gathered in the Great Hall, nervously awaiting the horrible news in their pajamas. The king finally stood before his people and silenced the agitated crowd._

"_I regret to inform you of the following information: the Aqua Orb has been reported missing," the king said gravely as a worried gasp went up through the Minimoys, its sound echoing off the dirt walls of the room._

"_How?" someone asked._

"_The guards found a missing piece from a Sades army uniform laying next to the Orb's case, so all signs point to the Evil M." He shook his head. "That means the Guardian of the Waves has been identified."_

"_How could he have known?" Selenia wondered out loud._

"_When the Guardian of the Waves comes of age, the Orb will send out vibrations to inform everyone in the Seven Kingdoms that he--or she--has been found. The Evil M must have received them before everyone else and stolen the Orb before anyone else knew anything."_

"_Can he do any real damage?" Beta asked._

"_Not necessarily," the king explained. "The Guardian of the Waves must be in possession of the Orb for its power to be unleashed. However…if the Evil M was to kidnap the Guardian and force her to use the Orb's power for his own personal gain…he very well could flood the Seven Kingdoms and completely take over."_

"_Who IS the Guardian, exactly?" someone piped up._

"_The prophecy states that the Guardian must be a blood-relative of a great warrior and friend of us, and based on the notes the guards found in the Sades helmet…the Guardian is a female cousin--born under a water sign--of Arthur the Hero's."_

_Another great gasp arose from the crowd._

"_Arthur has a COUSIN?" Beta said. "Since when?"_

"_He doesn't know he has one yet," the king answered. "But he must learn soon. He must keep her as far away from our kingdom as possible; the closer she is, the easier the Evil M can manipulate her into using her powers for evil."_

"_But what if she's stubborn about all of this?" Selenia inquired. "What if she refuses to listen to Arthur?"_

"_Oh, don't worry," the king said wryly. "She will understand in time."_


	4. Prologue Part Two

PROLOGUE (Part 2)

**Juno's P.O.V.**

_I'm not quite sure how this whole thing started…there's a lot to remember, after all. I mean, it's not every day that you find out you have long-lost relatives that live all the way in Connecticut but have come to visit for the summer…or that your ten-year-old--soon to be eleven-year-old--cousin has communication with tooth-sized elves…or that going on an adventure with said elves is a lot more exciting than getting your learner's permit._

_And the reason I know all this is because…I've lived it. I've gone through every event I've mentioned in a little less than three months. And I'm still trying to sort out how all this could be possible…_

_But I think that said cousin and said elves wouldn't like me dwelling on it. They'd tell me to shut up and face the facts. Or…at least said elves would. Said cousin would tell me to open up and believe…or something sappy like that. _

_Anyway, as I've said all these things, I've finally remembered how all this started. So…don't fall asleep on me yet! I'll tell you the story from the very beginning…_

--

_I guess it all started during summer vacation. You know how it feels: school's out, there's so much to do, and so little time to do it. _

_I was mainly relieved to be done with the ninth grade, if anything. No more being the youngest in the school, no more confusing schedules, no more awkward run-ins with older kids you didn't even know…and no more waiting to get my permit._

_I was living the high-life._

_Well…almost. I mean, my best friend, Geri, had to go to Chicago for most of the summer, and she'd be busy the whole time, leaving her no time to talk to me. And my other friend, Carly, was having computer and cellphone troubles, and couldn't really communicate with anyone. _

_I spent most of my time in my room, listening to my iPod or reading a book. If I wasn't doing that, I was watching TV or on the computer, and I wasn't in either of those places, I was eating something out of the refrigerator._

_My mother was very concerned about this, and decided to put me in Driver's Ed. earlier than planned. But that didn't matter in the least to me. The sooner I got my permit, the better. And after two weeks and a sickingly easy test, I finally got it._

_So that kept me happy for a while._

_But I didn't know that that would soon end._

--

_Yep, things were too good to be true. It just seemed right that among all that summer sunshine, it had to rain sometime. And it finally did one fine summer night in that third week of June._

_And it didn't rain. It POURED. _

_There was thunder and lightning EVERYWHERE._

_And it was so friggin' LOUD._

_Loud enough to jerk me awake._

_After I had gotten my bearings and realized it was raining outside, I looked around my bedroom and decided that everything looked darker than usual. I looked at the digital clock on my dresser to see the time and that's when I realized the power had gone out because the clock was blank._

_After realizing I wasn't going to fall back asleep anytime soon, I decided I should stay up and read one of my library books. I went out to our loft, got cozy on my beanbag, and read for about an hour before I finally decided to go back to bed._

_I didn't know that someone was watching me._

--

_I figured things couldn't stay great forever. But I didn't think it would come to a halt as fast as it did._


	5. IN WHICH We First Meet Juno

_A/N_

_Hey, everyone! Yeah, I know Arthur and the Invisibles isn't the coolest movie ever...but it's pretty good. And I'm hoping this story won't screw anything up (I get confused with that movie and its many plotholes all too often). _

_Anyway, like I've said, all real peoples' names have been changed to protect the innocent, since some of these people are based on people I actually know. Oh, and all the places are real...the events are more or less real...it depends..._

_Oh, and just a reminder: won't be on all that much next week. _

_Enjoy!_

Chapter One: IN WHICH We First Meet Juno

Fifteen-year-old Juno Davidson leaned against the shopping cart, waiting for her mother to order some turkey at the poultry counter. She and her mother were at the new Costco that had opened up in Maplewood earlier that week--and already it wasn't living up to Juno's expectations. She sighed impatiently, trying to signal to her mother that she wanted to go somewhere else.

"Juno Esperanza Davidson!" Mrs. Davidson said, frustrated. "How many times do I have to tell you NOT to pout like this?"

"Say it for the whole store to hear, Mom," Juno hissed.

"I don't care! You've been pouting for the past…" She glanced at her watch before saying, " Fifteen minutes!"

Juno gave her mother a matter-of-fact look. "And you don't think that waiting fifteen minutes to order some turkey when there's NO ONE ELSE AROUD isn't the craziest thing you ever experienced?"

"I do admit, this is getting a little ridiculous--"

"A little?" Juno asked. " A little ridiculous was waiting almost half an hour to get our membership cards--"

"It's a Thursday! A lot of people come here on Thursdays. And it just opened this week, too, not to mention it's summertime--" her mother protested.

"A little ridiculous was when that creepy sample lady forced me to try dried peaches when it was obvious I didn't want to--"

"It's her job! She's supposed to persuade people to buy things here--"

"A little ridiculous was this store having fifty copies of The American Mall and no copies of Rent--"

"They're a whole-sale club! They buy in bulk, and get what they can get, dear--"

"And I tried to let the fact that they have ACTUAL FISH with eyes in packages slide by--"

"People buy them that way all the time!"

"But this?" Juno pointed to the counter. "This is where I draw the line. I officially label this Costco L-A-M-E." She sighed. "I should have stayed home and watched The Phantom of the Opera or whatever."

"Juno, please. I know that this store is…a bit less than average. But we need to make the best of it."

"If this is it's best, I'd hate to see it's worst," Juno muttered.

Before her mother could say anything else, a bored-looking employee came to the counter and rang a service bell.

"Sorry about the inconvenience," she said in monotone. "I was on my lunch break."

Mrs. Davidson gave her a quizzical look. "It's not even ten in the morning."

"Well…my boss really doesn't care." She looked at Mrs. Davidson. "What can I do for you?"

"I'd like half a pound of the oven-smoked turkey breast, please."

The employee nodded and got out the turkey. She put it on a scale and waited for the numbers to come up. While she did, she started humming the "Jeopardy" theme song rather loudly. It took all of Juno's strength to keep herself from laughing. That, and her mother's warning look.

When the numbers finally came up, the employee put the turkey into a baggie. "That'll be two bucks," she said in her monotone voice.

Mrs. Davidson paid the employee and signaled for Juno to follow her with the cart.

………

"So…are we doing anything of interest this weekend?" Juno asked when they reached the potato chip aisle.

"Well, Aunt Gina and Uncle Tim's beer party's on Saturday," Mrs. Davidson said, putting a bag of chips in the cart.

"Isn't it usually in the fall?"

"Yes…but after how cold it was last year…they decided to move it up earlier in the year."

Juno nodded, smiling. Her aunt and uncle's beer party would now be one of the highlights of her summer. It was the one place where she could drink cup after cup of delicious homemade root beer; get away with playing with her cellphone and listening to her iPod at the same time; and snicker with her sister and her friends, Hailey and Molly, at all of the people who drank too much alcohol for their own good.

"We should call Hailey's when we get home and invite them," Juno said, going to grab some sour cream and cheddar chips. "I know they'll be thrilled to come with."

"Not this time," Mrs. Davidson said. "Mrs. Cartmen called and said that they can't make it this year."

The bag of chips in Juno's hand dangled a few inches above the cart as she stood with her mouth open. "What?"

"Sorry, sweetie…but they have a family reunion the same day. Mrs. Cartmen told me Hailey and Molly were really upset that they were missing this, but family comes first."

Juno rolled her eyes. Now that her sister's best friend and her family weren't coming, the beer party seemed less exciting. She got tired pretty quickly with both her cellphone and iPod if she used them too much. Besides, most of the adults there had better things to do than talk with a fifteen-year-old, and the adults that did talk to her didn't talk about much. And Juno most definitely didn't want to talk alone with her younger sister, Tracey, because all she could talk about was Star Wars.

"Honey, I know that the beer party gets…long for you and Tracey," Mrs. Davidson said, putting a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "But it'll be fun this year! There are plenty of people there to talk with…you can always play with Aunt Gina's dog, Grace…and you can have as much homemade root bear as you want! I promise: this year, you won't be bored." She turned and began walking down the aisle.

"Yep," Juno said to herself as she pushed the car, following her mother. "You keep telling yourself that."


	6. IN WHICH Juno Discovers Her Powers

_A/N _

_OMG I know I haven't updated in a while! Sorry! There's been so much going on..._

_Anyway, here's Chapter Two! Enjoy!_

_P.S. I don't own Light Sprites the game or Costco the store._

.........

Chapter Two: IN WHICH Juno Discovers Her Powers

"Oh, shoot!" Mrs. Davidson said when they reached the self check-out. "I forgot to get your dad's water. Juno, sweetie, could you run down to the water aisle and get a pack, please?"

"Sure, Mom," Juno said, walking away.

Wait. What was she doing? She had never even been in this Costco before. How did she know where the water was? Sure, there were the aisle markers…but she never paid attention to those. Who did anymore?

She made it to the aisle in about half a minute. Walking slowly so she wouldn't miss her dad's water, she began to ponder things. How had she known how to get to the water aisle when she'd never even been there before? Was something wrong with her? Was she hallucinating?

She began to think back to other weird instances over the past three weeks. There was the time she realized that no matter how long she stayed in the shower, her skin didn't prune up like everyone else's. And the time she walked through the rain to the public library and had somehow dried off as soon as she went inside. And then the time when she went swimming at the local pool and refused to get out, she had felt so at home there.

And then there was today in the parking lot. A runaway cart had been rolling towards her as she was crossing the pavement. She noticed that as the cart continued to roll, it would hit a huge puddle, getting her soaked through. She put her arms out in front of her as if to will the cart to stop.

And just as it rolled through the puddle, making a huge wave of water…it did. Both the cart and the wave were frozen in space.

Thinking back on it now, Juno began to realize that these instances were much more than mere coincidences. They were omens. Omens of…something.

Something BIG.

Something she couldn't explain.

Something she didn't want anything to do with.

Juno shuddered at the thought of being something…something else. One of those freaks she saw in movies that were shunned by society because of a weird quirk or ability. Would she end up like that? Lonely and surrounded by water?

She was so deep in thought that she almost passed her dad's water. She quickly grabbed a pack and headed to the self check-out. Whatever it was, she was sure it was just her crazy imagination acting up again.

After all…considering the summer she'd been having, she needed to keep herself entertained somehow.

.........

The rest of the day, she tried to avoid water as best she could. Unfortunately, her sister, Tracey, noticed.

"Is there a specific reason you're avoiding water?" she asked in her haughty tone.

"No," Juno said, turning back to her game of Light Sprites on the computer.

Tracey shook her head. "What's with you, Juno? You've been so distant lately! You're not talking to anyone, you spend most of your time alone…and now you're being weird! Mom and Dad are really worried about you."

This hit Juno hard. She had no idea her behavior had had that much of an effect on her parents.

"They said the only reason they're dragging us to that party on Saturday is because they want you to socialize and not be reclusive like you've been for the past three weeks."

"Whatever," Juno said, trying to seemed absorbed in her game.

Tracey sighed. "Fine. Don't listen to me. It's your funeral." She left the room in a huff.

Juno sighed and quit out of the game. She knew she'd been distant. But that was only because she didn't want her family knowing about…the thing. And it was better having her family think she was just being a teenager than having them know about…the thing.

And Juno intended to keep it that way.

.........

**Selenia's P.O.V.**

Selenia rolled her eyes as she watched the Guardian of the Waves through the Foreseeing Orb. Why was this girl in such denial about her true identity? Were all humans like this? Did they just deny parts of themselves when it suited them?

Well…there was one that she knew would never do that…

Selenia really couldn't believe that this girl--this…freak--was really related to her Arthur. Her husband. The future king of the Minimoys. She compared the two and shook her head. They were total opposites!

She smiled as she thought of Arthur. Brave, kind, courageous Arthur. He was never afraid to do the right thing. And he was always ready to defend the Minimoys, ready to take action and stand up for them.

Juno was a different story. She was just like any other human teenager: so angst-ridden…so confused…so…not ready to take on responsibility. She only cared about her own problems, and she acted like a five-year-old. And she was the older one of the two!

Selenia sighed. Maybe with patience and understanding, this strange girl would become worthy of her magical identity.

But for now…she still had a long way to go.


	7. IN WHICH Juno Sees Her Mistake

_Hola! I know it's been SOOOOOOO long since I last updated this! Sorry! I just needed some ideas. But once I started writing, the words started flowing and...ta-da! Here's Chapter Three! Enjoy!_

Chapter Three: IN WHICH Juno Sees Her Mistake

The next day went by painfully slow. Nothing happened, either; just the regular do-nothing-at-all routine Juno was used to. However, she'd rather spend a night at home doing nothing than go to her aunt and uncle's house in St. Paul and sit alone among strange people.

The day after that was not much better; in fact, it was even worse. As the hours turned into minutes until they had to leave, Juno's head swam for an excuse to stay home, but everything she came up with either seemed childish or would never work with her parents.

She finally found herself sitting in her father's car, making the half-hour trek to the city. She had her iPod headphones plugged in to tune out the boring radio station her parents were listening to.

"Can you believe this?" Tracey asked her without realizing she couldn't hear a thing. "We have to go to some party at the same time _Star Wars _is on! That's so STUPID."

"Tracey, sweetie, you've seen all the movies at least five times each!" Mrs. Davidson said. "Wouldn't you much rather spend time with your family?"

"Not really," Tracey said bluntly. "I mean, considering there'll be five thousand drunks there and no one ever talks to me, I'd rather be watching _Star Wars_."

"We can ask Aunt Gina if you can watch her high-def TV, Trace," Mr. Davidson said. "I'm sure she'll let you."

"Bill," Mrs. Davidson cautioned. "No. I told them no TV, no cellphones, no iPods. They're going to socialize, not be reclusive like they always are. Right, girls?"

"Yeah, whatever," Tracey said.

"Juno?"

Silence.

"Juno?"

"She's got her iPod on," Tracey explained.

"JUNO!"

"What?" she asked, putting the song she was listening to on pause. "What do you need?"

"Never mind," her mother said, sighing. "Just…forget it."

.........

After what seemed like forever, the car parked along the curb right outside the house. As they got out, they could hear Grace barking behind the metal gate, tail wagging and drool dripping out of her mouth.

"Hi, guys," Aunt Gina said as she came to greet them.

"Hi, Gina," Mrs. Davidson said, hugging her sister. She turned to her family. "What do you say?"

"Hi," the three of them said in a bored tone of voice.

"Does anyone want to come help me put out food?" Aunt Gina asked.

"Sure," Mrs. Davidson said. "Come on, Juno."

Juno reluctantly followed her aunt and her mother into the house while her father and Tracey snuck into the garage unnoticed. She glared at their backs. It was so not fair that she was stuck doing the work while they went off and did…whatever.

"I'll need help putting the salad and chips out in the garage," Aunt Gina said when they got to the kitchen. "Juno, could you start opening the dip?"

"Yeah," Juno said, picking up a plastic container full of ranch.

"So, I hear someone just got her permit," Aunt Gina remarked.

"Uh…yeah," Juno said, putting her head down.

"That's all I get? Come on, Juno! I thought you'd want to get your permit!"

"It's actually the exact opposite," Mrs. Davidson said, opening up a bag of tortilla chips. "I made her take Driver's Ed. She wasn't too happy with me when she found out."

"But now you got your permit and you can drive. That's good."

"Sure," Juno said, walking out the door. "Let's go with that."

Aunt Gina looked to Mrs. Davidson for help.

"I've been taking her out to drive. She's been doing very well."

"Then why does she…?"

"She's just hung over about making a couple minor…mistakes."

"Minor? Understatement of the year, Mother," Juno said, coming back in. "You need to remember that I've almost driven into the curb five times, almost knocked down a mailbox, almost drove backwards into the woods, and almost had a head-on collision. Oh, and let's not forget the countless people who honk at me and pass me because they think I'm a lousy driver!"

"Oh, I'm sure it's not that bad," Aunt Gina said. "Everyone makes mistakes. And you should get a Student Driver sticker or something so no one honks anymore."

"I'd much rather have Tracey beat them up," Juno muttered under her breath as she took out another container of dip.

.........

An hour later, the place was hopping. There were adults everywhere, drinking beer and conversing with each other about the news or sports.

Juno didn't know whether to tell her mother "I told you so", throw up because all of the adults with beer made her absolutely sick, or just sit where she was and pretend to be invisible.

She chose the third and took another sip of root beer.

"This totally blows that Aunt Gina wouldn't let me watch the TV!" Tracey said. "Seriously! I mean, not one of our cousins are here! And all of Mom's cousins are grown up and too haughty to even talk to us!"

"Not to mention our aunts and uncles are too busy drinking and talking with…their friends," Juno added.

"Where's Grandma and Grandpa? Weren't they coming?"

"Yeah, but not for a while. Mom told me they had to pick up Aunty Tina first."

"Seriously? All she told me was that they were going to church and that they wouldn't be here until…five."

Juno looked at her watch. It was exactly five minutes to four.

She rolled her eyes and put her head on the table. "Thanks for that," she said.

.........

Sure enough, at five, Grandma Yvette and Grandpa Joe arrived with Aunty Tina. Mrs. Davidson was the first to greet them.

"Hi, Mom," she said, hugging Grandma Yvette. "What took so long?"

"We were hung up at St. Joseph's," Grandma Yvette explained. "We had just gotten out when Joe saw his older brother."

"The one who lives in Connecticut?"

"Yes!" Aunty Tina said excitedly. "We talked for a bit, and then we invited them to come here. I know Gina doesn't mind more people…"

What all of them didn't know was Juno had heard their entire conversation. Relatives? In _Connecticut_?

Since when?

Before she could think anymore, Grace's boisterous bark rang out over the roar of everyone's voices. Coming towards them were three people Juno had never seen before.

The first one was a man. He was old, obviously, with tan skin and a safari-style hat. He had a sort of limp to his walk, and used a cane for assistance.

Next to him was a woman, whom Juno guessed was his wife. She wore a floral dress and a sun hat, and on her face was a melancholy look.

Behind them came a boy who caught Juno's attention instantly. His spiky hair was chestnut brown--just like hers--with blond tips. He wore dirty overalls and hiking boots--something she was accustomed to wearing. He was scowling and sulking along--a look Juno was familiar with.

He looked almost exactly like her.

Only…he was younger.

And a boy.

"This is Archibald, my older brother," Grandpa Joe said. "This is his wife, Maurice, and their grandson, Arthur."

As the grownups talked some more, Juno noticed that the Arthur kid stood beside them, his arms folded, the scowl still on his face. He looked at her a couple of times, but then looked down at his shoes, obviously not thrilled to be there.

"Don't mind Arthur," his grandmother said. "He's still a little…upset…about coming over here. His parents want him to open up and meet new people, which is why he came with us."

However, by the way he snuck past the grownups and out the gate, Juno guessed he wasn't thrilled to meet new people anytime soon.

Just…like…her.

Seeing how foolish she had been, she grabbed her root beer and headed toward the gate.


	8. IN WHICH Arthur Reluctantly Uproots

_Hey! Here's another chapter! Enjoy!_

Chapter Four: IN WHICH Arthur Reluctantly Uproots

_Arthur's P.O.V._

Arthur stomped to the front steps of the strange house and sat down in frustration. He hadn't even wanted to come, and yet here he was, surrounded by a bunch of people he never knew existed.

He sighed angrily and hugged his legs. Why did his grandparents make him come? Were they happy to torture him? Did they want to scar him for life by uprooting him at such a young age?

He knew all those possibilities weren't the answer. But…what _was_? It certainly wasn't the lame excuse that they "wanted him to meet new friends" or whatever they kept telling him on the plane ride over here.

It was something much deeper than that.

He thought back to last month when the bomb had been dropped…

_*****That cool harp music that plays when there's a flashback*****_

_May 19__th__, 2008_

_Hartford, Connecticut_

_3432 Stag Tr._

_9:12 A.M._

"ARTHUR!!!!!" his grandmother yelled, searching frantically for her grandson. He had the tendency to go off and never tell her where he was going, which always made her worry. And the worst part was he knew that it did!

"Arthur! Get down here RIGHT NOW!" she called again. Saying those words made something click in her head, and she raced up the stairs to the attic. Sure enough, among stacks of old books, there lay Arthur and his dog Alfred.

"Arthur, sweetie," his grandmother said, shaking him awake. "Come on!"

Arthur groaned as he sat up. "Granny! I'm on summer holiday! I don't need an alarm clock until September!"

"Alfred doesn't seem to mind," his grandmother remarked as Alfred trotted out of the room.

"He's Alfred. He's always been a morning dog."

His grandmother giggled. "What on earth were you doing up here last night, anyway?"

"As if you didn't know? Grandpa and I were in Africa! He was telling me about what amazing adventures he used to have with the Minimoys!"

"I see," his grandmother said, looking at the open book that lay beside Arthur.

"Where is Grandpa, anyway?" Arthur asked, looking around the room. "The phone rang and he had to go and answer it. He told me he'd come back as soon as he got off the phone. I must have fallen asleep."

"Well…that's what I'd like to talk to you about," his grandmother said warily. "Um…your grandfather was on the phone last night with his younger brother."

"The one who lives in Mooville with all the hicks?"

"Now, don't talk like that. They're not hicks. They're people, like us. Anyway, yes, he was talking to hisbrother. And when your grandfather went to bed, he told me that they agreed to…get together sometime over the summer with their families."

"That sounds swell," Arthur said. "But…I don't have to give up my room, do I?"

"No, sweetie, you won't," his grandmother said. "His extended family is far too big to fit in a little house like this. There's his children, and his grandchildren, and his wife's cousins and their children--"

"Where are they all going to stay? In the hotel in town?" Arthur interrupted.

"No, dear…they aren't coming here. At least…not anytime soon."

"What?…I…don't understand…"

"Arthur." His grandmother sighed. "Your grandfather and I called your parents and talked it over with them. And we all agreed that it would be nice…if we…um…went to Minnesota for the summer."

Arthur's face fell. "But…what about Alfred?"

"We'll take him to a dog kennel. I know he has friends that stay there during the summer."

"But…the Minimoys and--"

"We'll try to make it back in time for that, okay?" his grandmother said a bit too quickly.

Arthur stared at her. "Try? We'll TRY to make it back? Granny, do you know how important that day is for me and Grandpa?"

"I do! It's just--"

"Just what?" he asked, his temper rising.

"Arthur, please! You're making more of this than there needs to be!"

"And what I can't understand is that my parents are going along with all of this!"

There was a silence that filled the room that told Arthur that something was wrong.

"They're not coming, are they?" he asked.

"Arthur…their jobs are very…demanding this time of year. And with the economy a bit low and everyone having money troubles…they need to work."

"They promised me," Arthur said darkly. "You promised me, too. We'd be able to pass through the Minimoy world and--"

"Arthur, I said we'd try to make it back in time for that!"

"I KNOW WHAT YOU SAID!" Arthur snapped. "AND I DON'T CARE!"

There was another awkward silence for a moment.

"Fine," Arthur said. "I'll go."

"Arthur--"

"Just forget it. I'm coming with."

"Sweetie, please--"

"Just…leave."

"Okay," she said, getting up. "Well, you'd better get ready. We're going into town to go shopping for the trip. We're leaving in an hour." She walked down the stairs.

Arthur reluctantly got up and followed, a scowl making its way on his face.

.........

The next week was torture. Arthur learned they'd leave on May 26th, and that didn't give him much time to convince his grandparents that leaving home was wrong. So while his grandparents fussed over what needed to be done before they left, Arthur went into the old barn to brainstorm ideas.

He tried everything: silent protests, threatening notes, stealing his grandparents' necessities they needed for the trip. He even tried driving the car to a remote location, but all this resulted in was one beat-up car, one slanted tree, and a day spent in his room, packing.

He finally succumbed to the lowest idea he had: begging and pleading on his hands and knees. His grandparents told him three things: shut up, grow up, and deal with it. But Arthur didn't want to.

.........

The dreaded day finally arrived. His grandparents had already dropped Alfred off at the kennel, so Arthur had no one to talk to during the ride to the airport.

He stood in front of the passage to the Minimoys. "Well, if you haven't heard…I'm leaving for the summer," he said, not sure if they could hear him. "And…we're not sure if we'll make it back in time to…you know…" He sighed. "Anyway, if we miss passing through, I'd just like to wish you all the best. And…for Selenia…that you always remain faithful to me."

"ARTHUR!" his grandmother called, honking the horn. "Time to go!"

Arthur climbed into the car, and watched his house from the back window as they drove away. He'd make it back here somehow.

He just needed a plan.

_*****Some more cool harp music that signals the end of a flashback*****_

Arthur had tried again and again to formulate a plan, but to no avail. His grandparents had eyes in the back of their heads, watching his every move and making sure he didn't do anything stupid. His reaction to this was sulking all day and not talking to anyone, so that they easily grew bored and didn't pay attention to him as often.

And it worked.

And it had been working for almost a month now.

Unfortunately, Arthur realized that his act wasn't working for one person.

He heard the groan of the gate and looked up to see the girl he'd seen in the back yard coming toward him. She was probably out here to tell him to get his butt back to the party and act like a human being, by order of his grandparents.

He sighed.

Could this day get any worse?


	9. IN WHICH Arthur Digs A Hole

_OMG hey, everyone! Sorry it's been long! This past week has made me SO TIRED! Snoopy!!! was a hit, though, which is good. _

_Like I've said, I'll have pletny of time to update things over my Christmas vacation, and I'm hoping to finish this shortly after that (or, at most, before Arthur and the Vengance of Malthazard or whatever the second one's called comes out). I hope no one hates me for not updating in a while._

_Happy reading!_

_P.S. The whole three questions thing (including the name question)...I don't own that idea. It came from Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale by Holly Black_

_P.P.S. Chapter title...it's metaphorical._

.........

Chatper Five: IN WHICH Arthur Digs A Hole

"Hey," the girl said, sitting down next to him.

Arthur continued to hug his legs and didn't look at her. Maybe if he ignored her, she'd go away.

"Um…I heard you guys came all the way from Connecticut," she said. "And I also heard you're not all that thrilled to be here."

_Way to point out the obvious! _Arthur thought.

She sighed. "I know what you're thinking. You think this is the most pointless place in the world…you'd much rather be back home…and you want me to go away."

_Wow! You point out the obvious _and _read minds? You're so amazing!_

"Well, I'm here to tell you I'm not going anywhere. Not until I tell you that you're making a huge mistake. And I know I sound like some senile old adult…but the thing is…I was just like you only five minutes ago."

_You're so weird. What, you're an adult, a teenager, and a kid? You must have multiple personality disorder or something…_

"I just don't wanna see someone like you turn out the same way I used to be. It's just so…pointless. So…please listen to me when I say you gotta change. Soon."

Arthur looked at her out of the corner of his eyes. "Why should I?" he asked rudely.

She looked at him. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me," he said, sitting up and facing her. "Why should I? You're not my parents _or _my grandparents. You're not an adult figure that I should look up to. Besides, I can take matters into my own hands."

She seemed at a loss for words for a moment. "Oh, really?" she asked. "You can take matters into your own hands? What does that include doing? Sucking on a pacifier all day?"

"I am NOT a baby!" Arthur protested.

"You're sure acting like one," the girl said crossly.

"You know what?! JUST SHUT UP AND GO AWAY! I DON'T NEED SOME GOODY-TWO-SHOES TEENAGER TELLING ME WHAT TO DO!!!" He turned away and started crying.

An awkward silence fell over the two of them.

"Listen," the girl began to say contritely.

"Leave," Arthur managed to say, trying to talk through his tears.

"Seriously, just listen--"

"What part of leave don't you get?" Arthur asked rudely.

A clap of thunder was heard overhead. The sky opened and rain began to fall.

The girl got up. "Fine," she said. "But it's your loss." She began to walk away.

"Wait--" Arthur said.

The girl turned around instantly. "Yeah?"

"I get three questions," Arthur demanded.

"What?"

"I get to ask you three questions about yourself, and you have to answer them."

"Where are you going with this?" the girl asked, a bit annoyed.

"I just get three questions to ask you. You got a problem with that?" he asked.

"No." She sighed. "Okay."

"Where, exactly, am I?"

The girl considered for a minute. "Well, right now we're in St. Paul, which is the capital of the state. I overheard you guys are going to be staying in Stillwater. That's around where I live."

"Why did you come out here to talk to me?"

"That's easy. Like I've said, I pout all the time to get what I want. And half the time it doesn't even work. And today I realized that that's one of the most childish, immature things to do. Besides, I couldn't stand to watch someone else turn out that way, let alone a blood-relative."

Arthur rolled his eyes. He had no idea what had make him ask for three questions. This girl gave no interesting answers!

"You still have one question left," the girl reminded him.

"What's your name?"

"My name?" She looked at him as if he had just asked her to jump off the roof of the house and into a huge mud puddle. "Why do you want to know my name?"

"Cause I do," he said a bit smugly. "And, hey, _I'll _ask the questions."

"Fine," the girl said. "My name…is Juno."

Arthur kept tried to keep himself from laughing. Juno? That was the name of a movie about a pregnant teenager!

"Look," Juno said angrily, seeing him try unsuccessfully to control his laughter, "I don't have time for your childish games. It's raining, and I'm certainly not going to sit out here and keep getting wet. But if you decide to do so, be my guest. After all, I know how much you love to take matters into your own hands. Oh, and by the way…your three questions are up." With that, she turned and headed into the backyard.

Arthur started laughing as soon as he knew she was out of earshot. He had thought that ignoring this girl would have been fun, but annoying her proved to be much more effective.

"ARTHUR!" his grandmother hollered. "Come on! You don't want to get wet, do you?"

He sighed, got up, and opened the gate to the backyard.

.........

An hour later, the rain stopped. Everything was drenched, but that didn't stop anybody emerging from the garage and the house to continue the party. Arthur found himself sitting at a sopping-wet table in the middle of the small backyard, being bored. He looked at Juno out of the corner of his eye and flashed a smirk in her direction. She glared at him and turned away.

**Juno's P.O.V.**

Juno stood against the metal gate, her arms folded. That stupid cousin of hers was such a jerk! Why did he enjoy making her feel so…inferior? She knew he wasn't comfortable because he didn't know anyone, but that gave him no right to make fun of her like he was doing.

She was hoping he wouldn't ask what her name was, but she knew it had been coming. Every time someone asked her that and she answered, she knew what the gut reaction would be: "Oh, my God! That's, like, the name of a pregnant teenager! That means you're gonna get pregnant, too!"

She rolled her eyes at that. Didn't people know that Juno was the Greek name of Zeus's wife? It had been that way LONG before that stupid movie came out (truthfully, she thought it was a good movie, but she pretended to hated it because of the assumption most people made).

"Juno, honey," Mrs. Davidson said, coming up to her. "We're leaving now."

"Thank the Lord," Juno said, bolting for the gate.

"Aren't you gonna say goodbye to everyone?"

"Oh, sorry." Juno took a deep breath. "HEY, EVERYONE! WE'RE LEAVING! BYE!" She made her way to the gate, fully aware that her mother would give her an earful when they drove away.

But she didn't care. She wanted to get out of there as fast as possible.

The farther away she was from that stupid Arthur, the better.


	10. IN WHICH Juno Also Digs A Hole

_Hola! Just a note for everyone: I might type another chapter or two in this story before I leave it alone for the holidays. I don't know, no one really wants to read a tragedy around Christmastime, do they? Anyway, I've decided to go full steam ahead with my Polar Express idea (hee, hee...a pun!), since that's more Christmas-y and stuff. And then after that's done, I'll pick up on this story again._

_So...here's another chapter! Enjoy!_

.........

Chapter Six: IN WHICH Juno Also Digs A Hole

The next few days, Juno was in a funk. She had no idea why, but for some reason that stupid cousin of hers was really making her feel depressed. She needed…what did they call it? Closure? Yes. That's what she needed. Closure.

Maybe she could help him. Maybe she could help convince his grandparents to go back to Connecticut--where they belonged--and never come back. That would be doing a huge favor for both her AND the little jerk. And it would give her the closure she somewhat needed.

Her mother was, obviously, concerned about her daughter's depressed state of mind. She tried her hardest to find out what the problem was, but Juno wouldn't talk to anybody. That…and Juno kept drinking bottle after bottle of water from the fridge.

"Juno, sweetie? Is something wrong?" Mrs. Davidson finally asked one day.

Juno put down the book she was reading, Clarice Bean, Don't Look Now. "No, she answered. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, ever since the beer party, you've seemed…upset about something."

"Oh, gee. Maybe if that stupid Arthur went home, I'd be happier." She went back to reading.

"Honey, don't blame him. He's in a new place and doesn't know anybody. And he was really upset that he had to leave. I will admit, he needs some discipline from his grandparents. But give him time. I'm sure he's really a sweet boy."

"Yeah. And I'm a magical sorceress," Juno said sarcastically.

Mrs. Davidson sighed. "Juno, please. Don't do this."

"Whatever."

There was a pause before her mother said, "I'm going shopping at the mall today. You wanna come with?"

Juno put her book down again. "I guess."

.........

Juno found herself lost among the tall shelves of Barnes & Noble a half hour later. Her mother was off in the novel section, looking for a new book by Karen Kingsbury. That left Juno to wander around to find a Charlie Brown comic book to read.

She pulled one off the shelf that looked halfway decent: Peanuts All-Stars. She'd never been any good at sports, and she knew for a fact that Charlie Brown wasn't, either. She'd have fun reading about that.

She took the book to the little kids' section and sat down on a bench that faced a small stage. She opened the book and began reading. It didn't take long for her to get a bit bored, reading comic strip after comic strip.

She looked up suddenly, having the feeling that she was being watched. She looked around and saw no one. She shrugged and went back to reading.

Five seconds later, she saw out of the corner of her eye someone peeking out from behind a nearby bookshelf. She didn't know who it was, but as she watched the person duck back behind the bookshelf, she could have sworn she saw hedgehog-like hair.

With blonde tips.

She closed her eyes and tipped her head toward the ceiling, groaning quietly. This was why her mother had asked about the stupid kid in the first place. She had known she'd see him and probably his grandmother at the mall and wanted Juno to come with and make amends with him. Well, too bad. She wasn't going to do so anytime soon.

She closed the book, stood up, and walked confidently to the CD section at the front of the store. If she had to put up with him, she at least wanted to be somewhere where she couldn't hear him.

.........

From her place at one of the many CD sample-listening stations, Juno saw her mother and her great-aunt Maurice discussing the new Karen Kingsbury book. She rolled her eyes. Why had she agreed to come here in the first place?

She shook her head and went back to listening to her music.

_Da…da-da-da-da-da…da-da-da-da-da…da-da-da-da-da…da-da…da-da-da-da-da…_

She hummed along to the opening chords of the overture of _The Phantom of the Opera_. She had to admit, nothing helped her forget about her troubles like listening to the classics…

"What are you doing?"

She suddenly jumped and turned to see Arthur standing beside her, his eyebrows arched. She took off the headphones and glared at him.

"What do you want?"

"I asked a question," Arthur persisted. "What are you doing?"

"None of your business," she said, moving down the racks of CDs. To her dismay, Arthur followed her.

"Looked like you were listening to something."

"Wow. It's the CD section. Of course I was listening to something," Juno said. She noticed for the first time that he looked a bit hurt.

"Well, what, exactly?"

"Can't you read?" she asked, pointing to the CD.

Arthur looked at it. "You like _The Phantom_?"

"If I didn't, why'd I be listening to it?"

"I don't know…sometimes people try listening to samples of things they may or may not like."

"That's great," Juno said. "Too bad I don't care." She rolled her eyes and continued on.

"If you're wondering, I'm sorry," Arthur called from where he stood.

Juno whipped around and stared at him.

Did he just say what she thought he had said?

_Arthur's P.O.V._

Arthur stood staring at his cousin. He knew he had screwed up. Big time. And he knew apologizing to her would not be an easy task.

After the party had ended on Saturday, his grandparents took him to the summer house, and the first thing he had gotten there was another lecture of how to behave like a proper gentleman around his family. His grandparents may have been old, but they were still sharp as tacks, and had seen the way Arthur had treated Juno, appalled he'd stoop that low.

Leaving Arthur in his new room to unpack and think about things, Arthur had thought things through, and he finally thought of the Minimoys. If they were in his place they'd make the best of the situation. They'd try to have as much fun as they could possibly have.

They wouldn't be so ignorant as he was being.

Arthur pondered this for the next couple of days, and then begged his grandmother to try and find a way to see Juno again. His grandmother told him she'd think of something, and she did. So here he was, in the CD section of Barnes & Noble, trying to apologize to Juno for his behavior.

"What did you say to me?" she asked incredulously.

"I'm sorry," Arthur said sincerely. "I really am."


	11. IN WHICH the Tide Changes

Chapter Seven: IN WHICH the Tide Changes

Arthur held his breath, preparing himself for whatever his cousin would throw at him. No matter what she said, no matter how loud she said it, he was ready.

However…he wasn't really ready to see her start to cry.

"Oh, no…no, no…don't cry," he said, patting her on the shoulder. She didn't seem to listen. "Oh, no…was it something I said?"

"I'm sorry," she said, wrapping him into a bone-crushing hug. "It's just that…I really needed that. You don't know how bad I needed that from you!"

Arthur gasped for breath, but tried not to do it too loudly. She seemed to be forgiving him, which was good.

"Juno Esperanza--" Mrs. Davidson said as she and Arthur's grandmother came over. "What on earth--"

"What did you say to her, Arthur?" his grandmother asked sternly.

Arthur was silent for a moment, then put his arms around his cousin. "I told her just the thing she needed to hear."

***

_**Minimoy's P.O.V.**_

"No!" Selenia said, pounding her fists on the table. How could this be happening?

She looked again at the Foreseeing Orb as it displayed the image of Arthur and his freak of a cousin hugging each other in the middle of the library…or whatever humans called that place. It didn't even matter! Arthur was hugging his cousin!

He was making a truce!

HE WAS VILATING THE CODE!!!!!!

Selenia put her head down on the table. It was only a matter of time before the Guardian of the Waves visited Arthur's house, before she found out about the Minimoys, before she actually traveled to the Seven Kingdoms…

"Wow. Is this what you do all day?" Betameche asked, walking up to her. "It seems so boring!"

"Hush up, Beta," Selenia said irritably. "I'm busy."

"With what? Watching your hubby-wubby?" Beta asked in a syrupy voice. He looked at the Orb. "Oh, ho, ho! What's this now? He's cheating on you? Oh, sis, I'm sorry to see that--Whoa! Look at HER! Who is that? Man, she's really--"

"What part of hush up do you NOT understand?!" Selenia snapped. "That's the Guardian of the Waves."

Beta's eyes widened. "So he's dating his COUSIN?! EW!"

"No! He's apologizing to her. They were fighting a couple of days ago, and it was pretty much all her fault. So now Arthur's being the mature one and making it up to her when she obviously doesn't deserve it."

"Really?" Beta looked skeptical. "Cause Dad told me that the Guardian was trying to help Arthur and he totally lashed out at her and made her feel bad, and so now Arthur's trying to apologize and I think it's working by the way they're hugging and laughing and--"

Selenia sighed loudly. "Whatever! The point is, they can't do that!"

"Why not? People do that all the time!"

"No! You don't understand! If they become friends and get really close--" she trailed off, breathing heavily.

"She'll come here?" Beta asked. "Oh, now THAT would be cool!"

"No, it'd be horrible! The closer she is, the easier the Evil M can manipulate her into using her powers to flood the Seven Kingdoms, killing us all! You call that cool?!"

"The part about her coming here is cool!" Beta protested. "Cause, man, she is HOT!"

"Oh, shut up! You don't know anything," Selenia said. "I can't believe he's hanging out with…_her_."

Beta looked up at his older sister. "What do you mean?"

Selenia blushed as she realized her mistake. "Um…nothing."

Beta's face lit up. "I know! You're jealous, aren't you?"

"That's ridiculous! Why would I be jealous of…_that_? She's nowhere near all that great!"

"But Arthur and her are friends now, it looks like. And I happen to know that you'd like to be the only girl in Arthur's life."

Selenia sighed. "Well, I guess--wait! Have you been reading my diary AGAIN?"

Beta looked from side to side. "Maybe…"

"You know what? It doesn't even matter." She started to walk out of the room.

"Where're you going?"

"To Dad." She kept walking. "I think it's time we took some action."


	12. IN WHICH Something Unexpected Happens

_HEEEYYY!!! It's 2009! And here's a new chapter for Arthur (yeah...you can kinda tell I pounded this out in ten minutes...)! Enjoy!_

Chapter Eight: IN WHICH Something Unexpected Happens

**Juno's P.O.V.**

Juno sat at one of the many tables in one of the many food courts at the Mall of America, trying not to wolf down her chicken-and-bacon-on-Italian-bread sandwich from Subway. Instead, she tried to distract herself with her potato chips while she waited for Arthur to return from calling his grandmother.

As she pushed her chips back and forth, she began to think about the past few days. That day at the bookstore had been great. Arthur and his grandmother had gone shopping with Juno and her mother, and they had also come over for dinner. The next day, Great-Aunt Maurice and Mrs. Davidson took Juno, Tracey and Arthur to the Shoreview swimming pool (Juno tried to ignore her need to stay in the water even after they had left for the day). Then the day after that, they had gone to downtown White Bear Lake and gone shopping. Today, they were at the Mall of America to go shopping and ride the rides at Nickelodeon Universe.

Juno smiled. Things had gone from horrible to wonderful in only a matter of days. She hoped she wasn't dreaming. If she was, she hoped that it lasted long enough for her to enjoy herself…

"Juno?"

Arthur waved his hand in front of her face. She snapped to attention. "Sorry about that, buddy," she said. "So, what's the plan?"

"Grandma and Judy said they're at the Rainforest Café," Arthur said, handing the pink flip-phone back to Juno. "They're going to go window shopping at some clothing stores and meet us in front of the American Girl store at two. That gives us time to…do some window shopping of our own, I guess."

"Sounds good," Juno said, taking a grateful bite out of her sandwich. "It's about time they put an American Girl store in this state."

Arthur stared at her as she shoveled her sandwich into her mouth. "What?" she aksed, bits of bacon and chicken falling onto the table.

Arthur shook his head and giggled. "I've…just never seen someone who loves a sandwich as much as you!"

Juno swallowed and smiled. "Well, my mom always said that as I baby, I always went crazy when she took me to Subway."

Arthur nodded and dug into his own sandwich.

.........

_Arthur's P.O.V._

Arthur stared in wonder at his surroundings. He now knew why they called this the Mall of America.

"Where do you wanna go first?" Juno asked. "We have a little less than two hours to go…anywhere."

"I wouldn't know where to start," Arthur said breathlessly.

"Come on, then," Juno said. "I'll lead the way."

And so they were off. They went all over the place and only spent a minimum of seven minutes in each store they went to. By the time it was 1:30, they collapsed on a bench, out of breath.

"I am going to go and get a smoothie," Juno said, getting up. "You want anything?"

"Just get me whatever you're getting," Arthur panted.

Juno nodded. "Okay. I'll be back in a few." She walked away.

Arthur relaxed his muscles and exhaled. This was turning into one of the best summers ever. He was especially glad that he and Juno were on good terms now. Heck, he'd say they were practically best friends!

Arthur wasn't aware that there was no a little red-haired girl around his age sitting on the other end of the bench.

"Hello," she said.

Arthur lazily lifted one of his hands.

"So…are you dating anyone?"

This made him sit up in confusion. "No…" He said slowly.

"Hmmm…" the girl said. "I'm married."

Okay. No way was this girl for real.

"Really?" Arthur asked.

"Yes. To a boy named Arthur."

Arthur's eyes widened. The girl gave him a big smile.

"Selenia?"


	13. IN WHICH Information Is Discovered

**_HEEEY! I know it's been a while...but I just started typing and...I really can't believe I got this done! Wow!_**

**_So...here's the next chapter! Enjoy!_**

-

Chapter Nine: IN WHICH Information Is Discovered

Arthur could only stare at the little girl in front of him. He had to be hallucinating or…something. Selenia could not be stitting there, in the flesh, smiling away at him. She was back home, with the other Minimoys.

But for a moment, Arthur decided to not let that bother him.

"I can't believe it," Arthur said, hugging her.

"Is that a bad thing?"

"No, not at all," he said, laughing. "Gosh…you're here!"

"Yes, I am!" she said, also laughing.

Arthur stared at her again. "Wait…how--?"

"We left the Minimoys the same way you and your grandfather did. Then we took a plane and came here."

"Well, I'm glad you came! Now you can meet Juno and--"

"Arthur." She held up a hand to signal him to stop. "That's why we're here."

"We?"

She nodded. "Father and Beta came with."

"Where are they?"

"They went into a store called…Young Blue?"

"What? Oh, you mean Old Navy?"

"Yes. They were so fascinated with…pants or something, I'm not sure what. But that gives me the chance to talk to you about…_her_."

"Who? Juno?" He suddenly got a bit defensive. "What about her?"

She sighed. "She's in terrible danger right now."

Arthur snapped to attention. "What? Why? Did something happen?"

Selenia sighed again. "She's someone we call the Guardian of the Waves. She can control water without really thinking about it."

"That would explain why she didn't want to leave the pool…" Arthur mumbled.

"And…the Evil M--"

"Malthazard?"

Selenia quickly slapped her hand over his mouth. "SHHHH!!!" she hissed. "Yes, the Evil M. He stole the Aqua Orb from us only a week ago."

"Can Juno control that, too?" Arthur asked, working his way out from under Selenia's grasp.

"Yes. And the Evil M needs her because she's the only one who can. And with all that water…he can flood the Seven Kingdoms."

"So…what do we need to do?"

Before Selenia could answer, Juno came back at that moment.

"Hey, Arthur," she said. She looked at Selenia for a moment. "Is this one of your little friends?"

"Yes," Selenia said quickly. "My name is Selenia."

"Oh, what a pretty name!" Juno said. "I'm Juno, Arthur's second cousin."

"Yes, I know," Selenia said, trying to disguise her disgust. "Arthur has…told me about you."

"Yes, I have," Arthur said, getting up. "But, you know, I really need to talk to you alone right now." He began to push Selenia away.

"Wait, where are you going?" Juno asked. "I just got here."

"Um…Selenia has to leave soon…because…" Arthur looked to Selenia for help.

"I…have…an appointment!" Selenia said, formulating a lie in her head. "Over at that…leaf clinic place!"

"You mean Aspen? The one down the road?" Juno pointed in the general direction the building was.

"Yeah! That's the place. Arthur has to tell me something really quick, and then I, um, have to go find my dad and my little brother--"

"No need," said a voice behind them. "I'm right here!"

All three jumped. There, standing in front of them, was a little boy--a head shorter than Selenia--with a crop of bright red hair. Freckles covered his face, surrounding a huge smile.

"Beta?" Arthur whispered.

The boy nodded.

"But…I thought you were…"

"Three-hundred years old going on four-hundred?" Beta finished. "About."

"He, unfortunately, looks older than he is," Selenia explained, rolling her eyes. "I have no idea why, though."

"I think it's cool," Beta said, sidling over to Juno. He looked up at her. "Hey, gorgeous. You single?"

"Oh, he's so CUTE!!!" Juno said, rustling Beta's hair. "Is he your little brother? You guys look so much alike."

"Yes," Selenia said through clenched teeth. "But we really should be going--"

"Right now?" Juno asked, disappointed.

"They're here for a while yet," Arthur said. "Right?"

"Heck," Beta said, "we'll be here for as long as it--"

Selenia covered her brother's mouth with her hand.

"Yeah…we'll be here for a while."

"Oh, okay," Juno said. "Maybe we could get together sometime, then."

"Sure, sure," Selenia said, dragging a reluctant Beta with her as she followed Arthur.

"Okay, you haven't answered my question yet," Arthur said when they were out of Juno's earshot. "What do I need to do?"

"Just…keep her away from the house!" Selenia said, looking warily at Juno. "The closer she is, the easier the Evil M can get to her! So just…don't bring her to your house, whatever you do!"

"How could he possibly get to her?"

"Now that he has the Aqua Orb…it's like he has a part of her in his possession. He could easily communicate with her and convince her that he's some sort of…friend of hers. And if he gains her trust…"

"We're all screwed!" Beta exclaimed.

"Shhh!" Selenia shushed. "Beta, piped down!"

"Whoa, hold up," Arthur said, his brow furrowing. "Did you say he could just…manipulate her?"

"Pretty much."

"Sounds like…something out of a movie…what was that one thing she liked so much…something about a ghost…" His eyes lit up. "_Phantom of the Opera_!"

"What? There is no phantom of the opera, as far as I'm concerned!"

"No, no, no," Arthur said. "It's a movie slash musical. It's her favorite. She knows it just like the back of her hand…which means…she'll be fine!"

"Arthur, you're not making any sense--"

"It's fine! She'll know what's happening if he tries anything! She won't listen, and everything'll be fine!" He hugged Selenia and Beta. "This is so great!"

"Wait, Arthur--"

"I'm really sorry," Arthur said, looking to Juno. "I gotta go. But, here--" He pulled out a pen and started writing on Selenia's arm. "This is the address I'm staying at. And here's our number."

He kissed Selenia on the cheek and patted Beta's hair. "See ya!"

He ran back to a very confused Juno, leaving a very irritated Selenia and a very scared Beta behind.


	14. IN WHICH the World Crashes Down

_HEEEEEEYYYY!!!!!!!!!! Just wanna thank YOung Evangeline, Crystalstar Medicine Cat, Probe-Z 1433, and smoothmove8 for reviewing my story. Rereading your kind words has brought me further out of my writer's block, and I am SOOOOOOOOOO grateful!!!!!_

_P.S. Might not be on tomorrow...I have finals this week because it's the end of the semester..._

_Enjoy!_

.........

Chapter Ten: IN WHICH the World Crashes Down

"What was that all about?" Juno asked.

Arthur looked down at the plastic bench they were now seated on. "Oh…Selenia and Beta just wanted to…you know…catch up. They flew all the way out here to see me."

"Aw…that's so sweet," Juno said. "That shows true friendship."

"Yeah, I guess it does." Arthur continued to stare at the plastic. Now that he thought about it, he felt horrible about just ditching Selenia and Beta like he had. But they weren't making any sense, and he didn't want Juno to get too suspicious about things…

Juno looked at her watch. "Well, we'd better go. Mom and Great-Aunty are probably freaking right now."

"Uh-huh," Arthur said absently, following her.

.........

**Juno's P.O.V.**

"Mom?" Juno tried to keep her focus on the road as she spoke.

"Yeah, sweetie?"

"Did Arthur seem a bit…depressed today?"

"No," Mrs. Davidson said, looking quizzically at her daughter. "Why?"

"I don't know. We ran into some of his friends today."

"Oh, you mean the siblings with red hair? Yes, Maurice mentioned them to me."

"Well, after that, he seemed a bit down." Juno's hands gripped the wheel, noticing someone was behind them. "And I think he's unhappy."

"Juno, I'm sure he's just a little homesick. His grandmother told me that since you guys made up, he's been so enthused about being here. And all because of you."

Juno looked at her mother. "Really?"

"Juno! Eyes on the road!"

The car swerved as Juno maneuvered back onto the road. "Sorry. But…seriously?"

"Yes. Haven't you noticed how much happier he is now that he has a friend?"

Juno nodded. "Yeah. I have."

They pulled into the driveway and got out.

"Don't worry about it," Mrs. Davidson assured her. "He's just going through a tough time."

Juno nodded obediently, hoping her mother was right.

.........

The days seemed to fly by, and Arthur and Juno spent almost all of them together. Juno thought at times that she saw Arthur's friends spying on them, but Arthur would quickly assure her that she saw nothing and hurry her along.

In the fourth week of July, on a Monday, Juno's family and Arthur's family got together at the Dellwood Country Club for dinner. Juno noticed that Arthur seemed even more sad than usual.

"Juno?" he asked as they headed downstairs. "Can…can I talk to you?"

"Sure," she said as he lead her over to the coat racks. "What do you need?"

Arthur looked down at the carpet. "Well…" He sighed. "Tomorrow is our last day here." He looked back up at her. "We're going back home."

Juno felt her heart stop. They were leaving already?

"Oh," she said, trying to sound casual. "Well…you know…we could always email each other. And we can call each other, too…"

"I guess," he said sadly. "But…I'm really going to miss you." Juno tried to hold in her tears as they walked downstairs. "Yeah…I'll miss you, too."

_**Minimoys' P.O.V.**_

Selenia smiled a bit to herself as she watched Arthur and Juno trudge down the stairs. Finally, her husband was turning around.

"What happened to them?" Beta asked as he walked by.

"Arthur's coming home," Selenia said, almost bouncing up and down on the hotel bed.

"What?!" Beta raced back and stared at the Forseeing Orb. "Seriously?"

"Yes," Selenia said, hardly containing her joy. "His grandparents decided to come back in time for the opening of the portal." She smiled wider. "That means we're going home, too."

"But we just got here!"

"Hush, Beta," Selenia said. "I'm trying to hear what they're saying."

The two fell silent as they watched the Orb. It displayed the image of Juno practically crushing Arthur to death.

"Can't…breathe…" Arthur choked.

"Sorry," Juno said, releasing him. "I'm just…not totally over this."

"We gotta face the facts. My grandparents aren't changing their minds."

Then they disappeared into the doors of the restaurant.

"Why are you smiling?" Beta asked his sister warily.

"Because," she said a bit smugly, "for once, people are starting to see things my way."


	15. IN WHICH Juno Has Personal Troubles

_Hey! Sorry I've been MIA...and this is kinda short...but I hope to get more posted this week. Enjoy!_

_P.S. Idk why, but...the waiter dude looks like Zac Efron...I don't particularily like him all that much, so maybe that's the reason..._

-

CHAPTER ELEVEN: IN WHICH JUNO HAS PERSONAL TROUBLES

**Juno's P.O.V.**

Juno sighed as she sat in her regular booth at Key's. Usually she came here with Geri and Carly to eat some lunch and what they called "boy scope". But not even hot guys could cheer Juno up at the moment.

Arthur and his grandparents had boarded their plane. She was able to track their flight from the Northwest Airlines website. She opened her phone and looked again. They had successfully landed and were now getting off.

"Nice phone."

Juno looked up to see one of the younger waiters standing by her table. She frowned. "Um…okay…thanks."

"Oh, where are my manners?" He shook his head, a somewhat smug smile on his face. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Matthew Zarra, and I will be your waiter today."

"Great." Juno went back to her phone, even though there wasn't anything else she could do at the moment.

"Are you ready to order?"

"No." She was quiet for a few seconds before she looked up and saw that he hadn't budged.

"Then I'll stand here until you're ready."

"Knock yourself out, ace," she said as she pretended to text someone. She knew that guys like this were to be avoided--but they weren't avoided easily. They bugged you until you cracked and gave in to their demands, and they ended up being total jerks.

"You know what? Get me some coffee."

"Decaf?"

"No. I like it plain. Nothing added."

"I'll be back with that," he said as he walked away.

She sighed. It was just her luck to be stuck with a waiter like him.

Her phone vibrated. The caller ID said "Private", but she picked it up, anyway. "Yeah?"

"Juno?"

She almost fell out of her seat at the sound of Arthur's voice. "Arthur? Buddy, is that you?"

"Uh-huh. We're back home." She could hear him smile over the connection.

"That's great. How's Alfred?"

"He was so happy to see us! He's running around in the back right now, actually."

"Your flight take off okay?"

"Well…"

"Oh, come on! It wasn't that bad, was it?"

"Grandma was screaming and holding onto Selenia's hand the whole time! It was embarrassing."

"Oh, that's right, your friends went back with you. Maybe next time you come, we can get together, since we didn't get the chance to this time."

"Sounds cool. I gotta go now. Grandma and Grandpa want me to start unpacking before I go to bed."

"Okay, I'll let you go, then."

"I'll call tomorrow, okay?"

"Sounds good. Bye, buddy."

"Bye, Juno."

The dial tone sounded.

"Who was that?"

Juno looked up and saw that the waiter was back with her coffee. She rolled her eyes. "No one."

"It had to be someone."

"If it concerned you, I'd tell you. But it doesn't." She took a sip of her coffee, grimacing as she swallowed.

"Are you sure you don't want--"

"No!" she snapped. "I like my coffee black!"

As he walked away, Juno put her head in her hands. Without Arthur and his grandparents here…she didn't know what would happen to her.

But she was getting the idea that it wasn't going to be pretty.


	16. IN WHICH Things Look Up

_Hey! Thanks to Probe-Z 1433 and revoLodloV for giving me ideas! Mini installments like this will be all I can give you guys for the time being...I'm sorry! My writer's block is slowly lifting...it may take a while for it to completely go away..._

.........

CHAPTER TWELVE: IN WHICH THINGS LOOK UP

"Hey, Tracey?"

Juno's sister looked up from reading The Life and Times of Obi-Wan Kenobi. "You rang?"

"I'm having…" Juno thought about how to phrase her predicament. "Guy troubles, I guess you could say.

Tracey put her down immediately and sat up. "Oh?"

"Not _that_ type of guy troubles…"

Tracey slumped back down in her seat. "Oh. What do you mean, then?"

"I mean…there's this guy at Key's…Matthew Zarra--"

"Oh, he is so HOT!" Tracey squealed.

"Okay, moving past that…he was really bugging me today."

"How so?"

"Well…he kept hanging around my table," Juno said, remembering. "And he kept offering me stuff."

"I think he likes you," Tracey said, a bit deflated.

"He does not."

"He totally does! I'll prove it! We'll go tomorrow."

"I'm not really in the mood to see him again--"

"We'll go for lunch." Tracey went back to her book, signaling that the conversation was over.

.........

"I hate you, ya know that?" Juno said, irritated.

"Shh, here he comes."

"Hello, girls," Matthew said cheery. The smug smile was still there. "I see someone came back."

"Against my will."

"Can I get you anything? Coffee, lunch…my cell number?"

Tracey tried to suppress another one of her out-of-character squeals. Juno didn't know if it was the burning need to get this guy off her back or her growing dread that he was kind of cute, but she took the slip of paper. "Thanks."

"I'm off shift in a few minutes," he continued. "May I join you?"

"Well--"

"Yes! A thousand times yes!" Tracey said.

"Cool. See you in a few, then."

.........

The rest of the afternoon was spent in that booth at Key's. Juno hated to admit it, but Matt turned out not to be that bad after all. He was actually a very good listener, and seemed genuinely interested in anything she or Tracey had to say.

He especially seemed interested in her stories about Arthur. He explained--rather quickly--that he also had a cousin Arthur's age, and he knew how crazy things got sometimes. Juno felt she could really open up to him about this particular subject.

For the next few days, Juno went to Key's and had afternoon lunch with Matt. Tracey tagged along a couple times, but Juno felt that it was better when she stayed at home. Matt somehow was helping her through a tough time in her life, and she didn't want her sarcastic sister to accidentally ruin it in any way. (Tracey would badger her to come out and admit she had a crush on Matt, but Juno denied it every time).

On the last day of July, Matt seemed happier than usual. He claimed it was because he had gotten a raise, but Juno could now tell that his nostrils flared when he was fibbing.

"Dude, just tell me!"

"Okay, fine…it's…it sounds stupid--"

"I say stupid things all the time. It can't be that bad."

"I just…have a feeling something good's gonna happen to someone I know. I woke up this morning, and I thought, 'Today something amazing is gonna happen'. And…for some reason, I keep thinking it's gonna happen to you."

Juno laughed and shook her head. "Hate to break it to ya, Matt…but with my string of luck, nothing's gonna happen anytime soon."

Just as she said this, her cellphone rang. The caller ID said "Private".

"Arthur?" she asked as soon as she opened the phone.

"No, sweetie, it's his grandma," Maurice said.

"Oh, hi!"

"Arthur came up with an interesting idea today. He was thinking that…maybe you could fly out here for a few weeks and stay with us."

Juno almost dropped her phone into her beer-battered walleye. "Are you serious?"

"Uh-huh. Is your mom or dad available?"

"No…"

"Well, when you see them, tell them to give us a call. We want to make sure it's okay before we decide anything."

"Okay! Thank you!" She hung up.

"Who was that?" Matt asked.

"It was Arthur's grandma. They want me to come and stay with them for a few weeks!"

"That's great!"

"Yeah!" She glanced at her watch. "I gotta go. Thanks for lunch, Matt!" As she ran out the door, she called over her shoulder, "You were right!"

Matt stood up, staring after her, his lips curling into his signature smugness. "I always am," he said, a twinge of menace in his voice.


	17. IN WHICN Juno Arrives

_HEY! I'm sorry I haven't been updating! I'm seeing someone at the moment...his name is school. And he's got a brother named homework. Yeah..._

_Sorry...an unsuccessful attempt at humor! Anyway, thanks for everyone who's putting up with me! I know this is really short...but it's the best I could do. When I have more time on my hands, I'll watch the movie again and get some ideas down._

_Enjoy!_

.........

CHAPTER THIRTEEN: IN WHICH JUNO ARRIVES

_Arthur's P.O.V._

Arthur's fingertips drummed impatiently on either side of the leather upholstery. He glanced at one of the various clocks hanging on the wall. Eleven forty-two. So it had exactly been…two seconds since he'd last checked.

He knew he couldn't torture himself like this. She'd get here soon enough. Her flight was on time (according to his grandmother), and she'd be showing up any minute now.

_Come on, plane…touch down already…I have to see her one more time before…_

His heart dropped to the pit of his stomach. Tonight the portal opened. He and his grandfather would pass through and work with the Minimoys to try and prevent Mal-- the Evil M from…doing something evil.

He knew that one day--preferably one day that wasn't in the near future--he'd have to tell Juno everything. He'd have to tell her what she really was, he'd have to tell her of the existence of the Seven Kingdoms, and he'd have to tell her that he was the future king of the Minimoys.

_How am I gonna start out _that _conversation? Oh, hey, Juno! How's it going? Did I mention you possess magic that could potentially kill everything I live for, which happens to be a kingdom of tooth-sized elves?_

"Oh, shoot!"

He felt a thud against his foot. He looked down and saw the all too-familiar pink phone--now with a little nick in its side. He picked it up and looked in the general direction it had come from. He could hardly hold back a scream as he sprinted to where his cousin stood.

"Juno!"

"Hey!" He could feel that she was about ready to give way under his weight, so he let go so she could right herself.

She hadn't changed much since he'd last saw her (which was less than two weeks earlier). Her chesnut hair now had a slight mahogony tint, she had some more freckles on her nose, and he noticed that her eyes were slightly rimmed with purple. If she had been losing sleep over him…he'd never be able to forgive himself.

"What?" Her hands flew to her face. "What's wrong? Do I have a zit or something?"

"No, it's just…your eyes…"

"Oh." She shrugged. "It's nothing. Just having a hard time sleeping, is all. I need a refill on my pills…"

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Buddy, I'm fine! I didn't fly all the way out here just to complain about my sleeping habits!" She playfully punched him in the arm. "Come on!"

Arthur followed his now bouncy cousin, still a bit wary.

.........

He didn't sleep well that night. Maybe he had picked up Juno's sleeping patterns.

No. That wasn't it. It was the fact that everything had almost gone wrong today.

It wasn't that he didn't want Juno here. He did. And his grandparents were more than happy to have her, and Alfred had already taken a liking to her.

He knew that Selenia had something up her sleeve. He just didn't know that she'd pull a fast one on him.

Because when they had gotten home, a problem was standing in the doorway. An _unwelcome_, _pint-sized _problem, at that.

"Hector T. Wilson's the name! Junior cadet from the most prestigious military school in all of the Seven Kingdoms, here to protect the most coveted power source in the universe."

"Just a neighborhood friend," his grandmother explained quickly. "His father works for the power plant in town, and he…tends to get a bit…over zealous when he comes to visit Arthur."

Which would totally explain why he was still standing out there, making an idiot out of himself.

It was a good thing Juno was sleep-deprived, because she didn't really notice anything wrong with Hector T. Wilson. She just figured all eleven-year-olds sent to military school must have a hard time adjusting to normal surroundings after being cooped up for so long.

"Arthur?"

He sat up at his name. "What?"

"It's time," his grandfather whispered. "Come on."

Arthur followed his grandfather outside, where the familiar tall men were stationed at the telescope leading to the portal.

"Wait!" Arthur said. "What about…"

"Your grandmother will think of something," his grandfather said a bit tiredly.

Arthur prayed he was right as he felt himself shrink in size.


	18. IN WHICH Arthur Goes AWOL

_A/N: Melatonin is a real sleep medicine (non-dependable...it helps "promote" sleep, and you don't need a doctor to prescribe it...)_

CHAPTER FOURTEEN: IN WHICH Arthur Goes AWOL

**Juno's P.O.V.**

"'Mornin, Aunty!"

"Good morning, Juno, dear." Arthur's grandmother smiled. "How did you sleep?"

Juno flopped down on a kitchen chair. "Better than I have been lately. It was amazing...I haven't taken my Melatonin in five days...and I slept like a baby last night!"

"That's good!" She turned back to the stove. "Breakfast will be ready in ten minutes."

"It smells really good," Juno said, breathing in the smell of pancakes, bacon, eggs and sausages. "I'll go get Arthur."

Juno raced up the stairs, not even hearing Maurice's pleading not to wake Arthur. She was too excited that she was here, with her cousin, and they could do anything they wanted for the next three weeks.

"Arthur!" she sang, bursting through his bedroom door. "Wake up! It's morning!"

She noticed that he didn't even stir one bit. She rolled her eyes and walked over to the bed. "Come on, buddy! You can't sleep all day! Let's go!"

She reached out to shake him, but all she felt was a soft lump. Already knowing what was under the covers, she pulled back the sheets to reveal pillows and clothes, all bunched up together.

.........

"I'm sure he's somewhere," Maurice said calmly, picking up the phone. "He sometimes runs away for no reason."

Juno hardly heard her. She was rocking back and forth, too nervous to notice anything except the fact that her cousin had gone AWOL or MIA or whatever you wanted to call it.

She had searched the house--twice--and gone around the yard, only coming upon a strange contraption made out of bendy straws. Why had he taken off like this? And without telling her about it first?

It didn't help that his grandfather had gone off on a business trip, or that his grandmother didn't seem too worried in the least. Didn't she care that her grandson was missing? He could be anywhere, scared and alone, surrounded by gang members...

Juno shook her head to clear it. She couldn't think like that.

"The police are on it, Juno," Maurice said, getting off the phone. "They won't stop until they find him. Until then, all we can do is hope he comes home by himself, which I'm sure he will."

Alfred came up to Juno and rested his head on her knee. He looked up at her and whined.

"I'm worried," she said in a small voice, petting Alfred's head.

"He's fine, dear. He's just going through a hard time, what with his parents and all..."

"But--"

"Juno." Maurice cut her off. "He'll be okay. Don't worry." She walked up the stairs, and Juno heard her bedroom door close.

.........

Later that afternoon, Juno sat on the porch steps, looking down the long drive, hoping to see a small bit of movement.

Nothing.

Just like there had been nothing all day.

Alfred lay beside her, glancing sideways every so often. He had been with her the whole day, hoping as much as her that Arthur would come home.

But it didn't look like he was anytime soon.

Juno felt her eyes burn with tears--something she wasn't used to. She never cried. Ever. Not when she watched movies, not when she skinned her knees, not even when she embarrassed herself at school (although she had come very close a couple of times).

But this was somehow different from all those other times. She now harbored fear. Fear that Arthur was in trouble. Fear that he felt there was no other solution than to run away. Fear that he wouldn't return.

Alfred seemed to have the same mood. He started to whine in five-second increments.

"I know, Alfred," Juno said, still looking down the drive. "I miss him, too."


	19. IN WHICH Juno Takes Action

_Sorry if it's rushed! I wanna get stuff posted before my mom takes our computer in (again!) for examination..._

.........

CHAPTER FIFTEEN: IN WHICH Juno Takes Action

Dinner was incredibly miserable.

So was bedtime.

And breakfast the next day.

And the time in between breakfast and lunch.

And lunchtime.

Juno knew she couldn't keep making herself feel this way. She needed a distraction until her cousin came back. So she decided to go to Arthur's favorite room in the house: the attic.

There, she spent hours looking through Arthur's grandfather's books about his ten years in Africa. It was all quite fascinating. Especially the stories about tooth-sized elves called the Minimoys.

Maurice insisted that it was all just a bunch of silly tales Archibald used to tell Arthur, but Juno was keener than that. She had a feeling that the Minimoys had something to do with why Arthur had disappeared all of a sudden. If she could just figure out how they tied in...

She read on about the Minimoys, and found that Arthur's "friends" were really Princess Selenia and Prince Betameche, who had been sent to keep an eye on Arthur (because he was the future king of the Seven Kingdoms; it had pained Juno slightly to read that her cousin was already married).

She also found out about Malthazard, or the Evil M. She decided he didn't sound like a very pleasant person, and hoped that he hadn't given Arthur too much trouble (if he had indeed encountered the Evil M).

Looking at a picture of Selenia, she saw that there was writing on the back. It turned out to be a map.

A map to the Minimoys.

A map to find Arthur.

"Yes!" she cheered under her breath. She read on. "'To get to the land of the Minimoys, put your trust in Shakespeare.'"

What did they mean, "put your trust in Shakespeare"? What, was she supposed to dig up his body or something?

She looked around the room, trying to concentrate. Her eyes fell on a parchment that was mounted on a piece of wood. "Some words may hide others - William S." it read.

William _Shakespeare_.

Her great-uncle was one clever dude.

.........

After eating dinner and making sure that her great-aunt had had enough sleeping drops to keep her under for the night, Juno snuck back into the attic with a candle. She had thought about the quote over dinner and had come to an interesting conclusion. If some words hid others...then wouldn't words be on the _back _of the parchment?

She held the candle behind it, and sure enough, there were words written there. In fact, there were words written on other hanging parchments, creating a long line of words that formed into a note. It said:

_My dear Arthur, I'm sorry I left you without saying goodbye. But just because you can't see me, it doesn't mean I'm not here. I've gone to visit our friends from Africa, and recover our rubies. If you're reading this, then I probably never returned. _

The note must have been referring to the rubies that Archibald had recieved from a tribe close to the Minimoys...she couldn't remember the name, but they were tall. Really tall.

But...they had found the rubies. It even said in the book. Arthur and Archibald had found the rubies last summer.

So why was she reading this? Oh, right. To find Arthur.

_But there is still hope, for my mission now falls to you. If you accept it, that is._

"Sure...why not?"

_Good!_

"Okay...it's a good thing I'm not easily scared."

_You must follow my specific instructions. Only then can you unlock the passage to the invisible world of the Minimoys. It can only be opened every twelve moons (that's once a year to you and me). _

**_Okay, Juno...once a year. But...when is that?_**

She looked at the calendar on the wall. On it was a date circled in bright red. August 1st.

Today was August 3rd.

"Gingersnap cookies."

She grasped the candle. Hard. So hard, it began to shrink, and the flame licked her hand. Before she could pull her hand away...the flame went out in a flash of blue light.

"What the...?"

And then she remembered.

The Guardian of the Waves. In the book. The Minimoys had something called the Guardian of the Waves, and he or she protected them from water because the Minimoys couldn't swim. And...this would explain her strange attraction to water...

"Great. I'm a freaking mermaid. Just great. And...that means I can open the portal!"

Of course! The Guardian had enough power to open the portal, no matter what day it was.

She was still in the game.

.........

After finding a mini globe with a note in it, she started following the instructions.

_1. Go to the chimney. All of the tools you will need to make the journey are in my study._

The attic.

_Hopefully, your grandmother hasn't locked the door._

Well...she had.

_But if she has, you're a clever boy, and I'm sure you'll figure out something._

Already taken care of. She found the key on her bedside table.

This stuff was a cinch.

.........

_Pull the lever on the right._

No problemo.

_Now turn the valve._

This stuff was easy.

_Inside, you'll find a key. Always keep this key with you._

No key. Now what?

She figured Arthur had taken it. If the portal was already open, he needed that key. So she didn't need to worry about it.

**_No worries, Juno...you have the power, anyway..._**

_2. Inside the green suitcase is a diagram and five stone warriors._

More like five _broken_ stone warriors. She had no idea why they were all cracked in half. Again...she figured it was Arthur.

_3. Look for the gnome who resides behind the house. He marks the passage._

Out the window. There he was. By the big tree. She ran out the door.

She forgot about Hector T. Wilson.

"Excuse me, ma'am! You aren't allowed to leave the house unless accompanied by an adult!"

"What?"

"Orders from the Minimoy King, ma'am! It's my job to keep you safe from harm!"

Juno had almost forgotten about where Hector really came from.

No gnome in sight. Shoot.

"Where's the garden gnome, kid?"

"Over in the field, ma'am! By the big tree!"

"Thanks." She ran back into the house. She'd have to sneak out if she was going to get past the annoying cadet.

_4. Place the tribal canvas over the passage._

No tribal canvas. Must already be out there.

_The passage will open at precisely midnight._

She looked at the clock. 11:55.

**_Oh, how ironic. _**

_You know where I keep my telescope. _

No, she didn't.

_Get it._

**_Again, with the whole I-don't-know-where-it-is deal._**

_It will serve as your transport to the invisible world._

It must be out there with the canvas.

Now all she needed was to get outside.

.........

She easily snuck out the back. There, she saw the brass telescope glinting in the moonlight. The canvas was under it.

"Whoa..."

"Juno Davidson," a deep voice boomed behind her.

She whipped around and saw five tall men in tribal uniforms.

"Oh, my God..."

"I'm terribly sorry, ma'am!" Hector said in his military voice. "I had to do something! You need to be guarded at all times!"

"Thanks a lot, Hector."

"It's time for you to pass through, Guardian of the Waves," the man who had spoken before said. He was clearly the leader of the tall guys.

"Just me?"

"Only one may pass through at a time. But Hector may go with you, as you are a special case."

"Oh, no..." Juno groaned as the short boy stood beside her.

"I will do my best to protect you, ma'am!"

"Why does he need to come with?"

"You must be watched at all times. The Evil M is silently waiting for the perfect moment to manipulate your power."

"You mean that ugly Malthazard guy?"

Hector and the tall men gasped. "Never, ever say that name," the leader told her. "It brings bad luck."

"Good to know..."

"Your cousin has gone off to ensure your safety. You must join him now to aid him in his efforts."

"But...why do I have to go? Aren't I the one in the most danger? And...y'all are so...tall. And...muscular."

The leader chuckled. "Just like your cousin. His heart is the strongest of weapons. As is yours."

"And...that's supposed to help?"

"Yes."

"Alrighty then..." She turned to the telescope. "What am I supposed to do?"

"Turn the first ring three times to the right. For the body."

She turned the top most ring on the telescope. One...two...three.

"The second ring three times to the left. For the mind."

She repeated the action with the second ring. One...two...three.

"And the third ring. One whole turn...for the soul."

It seemed like things were moving in slow motion as she turned the ring. As soon as it clicked into place, the moon suddenly went from almost-full to completely full. A beam shot down and into the telescope, knocking her over.

"Are you okay, ma'am?" Hector inquired.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she told him. "You know, it's not every day you find out you have magical powers and that you're younger cousin is the future king of little invisible people."

"The door is now open," the leader said. "You need not introduce yourself. They will know who you are."

She noticed things were getting...smaller. And smaller...and smaller...

"What's happening?" she cried. But it wasn't her voice. It was a mouse's squeak that escaped from her throat.

"We're passing through, ma'am!" came the squeak of Hector.

"Do not fret," the leader said. "You are joining our brothers, the Minimoys. They will lead you to the Seven Kingdoms."

She grabbed ahold of the now-huge telescope ledge, Hector right beside her.

"You only have seven days to stop the Evil M from gaining your magic. If he is to use it, he will take over the Seven Kingdoms and wipe out the Minimoys. Including your cousin."

"Not if I can help it!" she squeaked. The glass opened beneath them, and into the telescope they went.

"Good luck, you two. May you be successful."

And off Juno and Hector went down the long tube.


	20. IN WHICH Juno is Minimized

_OMG I apologize 50,000,000,000,000 times for not updating sooner! End of the school year's a busy time for me...always has been, always will be. Next update might be next weekend...it's a three-day weekend, so it's possible._

_Thanx for all the loyal readers for putting up with me! I feel soooooooooooooooo bad! You guys are amazing and I'm reall sorry again! Please don't hate me!_

-

CHAPTER SIXTEEN: IN WHICH Juno is Minimized

Juno and Hector were held up by the mere glass of the telescope, which didn't seem all that stable. Juno looked through the glass and saw a room that was carved into the dirt, surrounded by roots and flowers. She wasn't sure what to do next.

A head popped into view, causing Juno to yelp in surprise.

"Hola, newcomers!" came a familiar voice.

Juno peered closely at the little redheaded, freckled elf on the other side of the glass. "Beta?" she asked. "Is…is that you?"

His eyes burst out of his head. "Juno? You're _here_?" He quickly ran his hands threw his hair and looked back. "I mean…Juno. You're here," he said in a pretend cool voice. "Yeah…" He started nodding his head.

"Um…Beta?" Juno snapped Beta out of his weirdness. "Could you try not to be cool for two seconds and help?"

"Oh, right! Um…what are you doing here?"

"We're here to see Sir Arthur, Your Majesty!" Hector said in his military voice.

"Hector, you know I can't allow you or her to come through!"

"And why not?" Juno asked.

"Orders from Arthur," Beta said simply. "He specifically said not to let you through."

"Screw what he says!" Juno said, frustrated. "I'm older than he is! And I really don't feel like putting up with this right now, so come on and open the stupid glass!"

"I don't know…" Beta seemed doubtful. "He's a King, remember…"

"JUST LET US THROUGH, DARN IT!" Juno shouted. "I DIDN'T GO THROUGH TWO WHOLE DAYS OF MISERY AND WORRY JUST TO BE TURNED DOWN! NOW YOU ARE GOING TO OPEN THE GLASS, OR I'M GOING TO BREAK IT DOWN MYSELF!"

"Okay, okay!" Beta said. "You're lucky the gatekeeper didn't change the rings! I'd have to wake him up and explain everything, and then we'd really be in a pickle!"

Juno sighed. "What do we do, Beta?"

"Just turn the key. It's to your left."

Hector turned the key, and the top of the telescope began to close in on them.

"Oh my God!" Juno shrieked. "Hector, what did you _do_?!"

"Relax, ma'am! Everything's under control."

"THIS THING IS GOING TO SQUISH US! DO SOMETHING!"

Hector didn't reply. The telescope came closer and closer, and pressed them to the glass. Juno's scream was swallowed by the noise.

The two little beings were then pushed through the glass and emerged from a sticky amber substance. They stood up shakily.

"Welcome to the Land of the Minimoys!" Beta announced.

Juno glared at him. "That's all I get? We could have gotten killed and all you can say is THAT?"

"Killed?" Beta started to laugh. "That thing didn't kill you!"

"It almost did…" Juno said sulkily.

"If anything, it improved you. Take a look."

Juno got a glimpse of herself in the glass of the telescope. Her ears were pointed, her face was covered in a field of freckles, and her clothes were now made of leaves and flower petals. Her hair was the same color and pulled back in a ponytail.

"Oh…my…"

"Minimoy looks pretty good on her, doesn't it?" Beta asked Hector.

"That is does, Your Majesty!" the cadet replied.

Juno noticed that Hector was only a few inches taller than Beta, but other than that and the many freckles, he looked the same (only his clothes and gun belt were smaller).

"So…now what?"

Beta thought for a second. "Well, first things first is we have to tell Arthur—"

"Tell Arthur what?"

Beta gulped as a tall redhead walked in. "Selenia, hey!" he said nervously. "How's the party going?"

"Why did you run off like that?" she asked, ignoring his question. "And why is Hector here? Isn't he supposed to be—"

She looked at Juno and cut off.

"Beta, _what did you do_?" Her face exploded in fury.

"They wanted to come through and…"

"And what? You just listened to them?! Arthur said specifically not to let them through!"

She turned to Juno. "I'm sorry, Juno," she said (and Juno could tell she really wasn't), "but you and Hector need to go back through the telescope. There's a reason Arthur didn't want you here, and he'll be just as furious as I am that Beta let you through."

"No," Juno said firmly. Her own voice sounded distant in her ears. "I'm not going."

"Don't be ridiculous, you're going back through the portal."

"No, I'm not. I spent two whole days worried sick that Arthur was in danger. And I finally figured out why he's been acting a little on the weird side the past few weeks." Her tone softened. "Just…please. Let me at least see him…I need to know he's okay."

Selenia seemed taken aback for a moment. "I'll give him the message, thank you," she said, pushing Hector toward the telescope. "But right now—"

"Selenia," Juno pleaded. "Put yourself in my place. Just for a second. If you were me, wouldn't you want to see him, too?"

Juno knew she'd hit Selenia's weak spot. The princess stopped pushing Hector and rolled her eyes.

"Fine…I suppose you can see him. But that's it! After that, you and Hector are going back and leaving the situation to professional hands."

"You're talking about us, right?" Beta asked as he followed them through the tunnels.

"No, I'm talking about me and Arthur and Father, not you."

Juno had tuned out as soon as Selenia had granted her permission to see Arthur.

Her worrying would finally come to an end, and all would be right with the world.


	21. IN WHICH A Decision is Made

**I'm sure y'all are tired of excuses...so I won't make one this time. And...sorry this took so long...!**

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: IN WHICH A DECISION IS MADE

"Arthur?"

Arthur turned to look at his grandfather, who was standing beside him. "Hi, Grandpa. Having fun?"

"You bet I am! All this food is just…overwhelming!" He continued to eat the fruit in his hand, somehow emphasizing his point.

"Glad one of us is." Arthur sighed and looked at the ground.

Archibald gave him a concerned look. "What's wrong, Arthur?"

"It's not that I'm not happy to be here. I am! It's great to be able to see everyone…and Selenia…again. It's just—"

"It's not the same without your cousin," his grandfather interjected.

Arthur bit his lip, nodding guiltily. "Yeah."

Archibald put a hand on his grandson's shoulder. "Don't feel bad, Arthur. I know you miss her terribly—"

"Yeah," Arthur said again, "but there's more than that. I feel depressed because Juno's not here, but I feel guilty for feeling depressed because I should be feeling happy that I'm here! The worst part is I think Selenia's getting a bit testy with me."

"Why in the world would she do that?"

"She's jealous."

Archibald processed this information for a few seconds and finally nodded. "I see."

"Grandpa, what do I do?"

Before his grandfather could answer, Beta came waddling up to them. "Arthur! Arthur!"

"Beta!" Arthur exclaimed as the short Minimoy stopped in front of them, out of breath. "What's up?"

"I need to borrow you for two seconds." He grabbed Arthur's arm and dragged him out of the room and out in the hallway.

"What's so important that we need to be out here?" Arthur asked as soon as the door closed.

Selenia, who was leaning against the wall, rolled her eyes. "Oh, you'll see soon enough."

"Selenia!" Arthur was surprised yet again. "What are you doing out here?"

"Taking care of things, like I always am," she said, clearly annoyed with something.

"Wait…do you two know something that I don't?"

"That they do, sir!" came a military voice.

Arthur's eyebrows furrowed. "Wait…that's not…_Hector_, is it?"

"Indeed it is, sir!" the cadet said, coming out from around the corner.

Arthur's heart dropped and sped up at the same time. "Beta? Selenia?…What happened?"

"Where to start? Genius here let your cousin and Half-Pint Hector through the portal—"

"He _what_?!"

"She was upset!" Beta complained. "I couldn't say no."

"You're such a sucker, Beta!" Selenia said. "You just don't know _when_ to say no."

"She was…upset?" Arthur looked devastated.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, she was," Beta said, glaring at his older sister. "She told me she spent two days worrying about you."

"Boo, hoo," Selenia said. "I spent a whole year without seeing him. Does anyone care about that?"

"Guys!" Arthur held up his hands. "Just…" He sighed. "Where is she?"

"I made her stay with the gatekeeper." Selenia pointed down the tunnel.

"What? Why?"

"Because if we're gonna send her back, there's no use showing her around."

"Oh, come on! She just got here!" Beta protested.

Arthur thought for a minute. "I…think Selenia's right," he said sadly. "She's not safe here."

"Finally! Someone who sees it my way!" Selenia huffed down the hallway. "Now, come on!"

Arthur's head hung as he followed the three Minimoys down the hallway. But his spirits slowly lifted when he saw his cousin – the Minimoy version of her, at least – standing by the portal.

"Juno!"

She looked up, and the biggest look of relief crossed her face. "Arthur, buddy!" Her eyes welled with tears as she crushed him with a hug. "You're okay!"

A cough was heard, and they let go to see Selenia wit her arms folded. "Okay, you both saw each other. Now can we PLEASE send her and Hector back?"

"But…but…" Juno started to say.

"Juno, I'm afraid she's right. It's too dangerous for you to be here." A thought struck him. "Wait…how _did_ you get here?"

"I read your grandpa's books," she explained. "I needed something to do. But as I read, I started to realize everything was true. And I couldn't let you do this alone."

"If you read all that, you have to know that you're in terrible danger here, Juno. The Evil M could manipulate you and—"

"Arthur. I've dealt with stupid boy people, crazy hobos _and _an obnoxious – if seemingly cute – waiter before. I don't think this'll be too hard. Plus, I've got magic on my side. Come on." She gave him puppy dog eyes. "I've missed you."

"Let them stay, Arthur," Beta pleaded. "They could really help us."

"What do you know, Beta?" Selenia asked impolitely.

Arthur looked from Beta to Selenia to Hector to Juno and was silent. Whatever he decided – right here, right now – could potentially alter the future drastically.

"Selenia…?"

"You people hate me, don't you?" She sighed huffily and turned to Juno. "Fine, you can stay. But if one thing goes wrong, you and Hector are going back."

She stalked off, and she left four joyful Minimoys in her wake.


	22. IN WHICH the Truth is Revealed

_Yeah...figured you might want some insight about what's goin' on with everyone else..._

.........

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: IN WHICH the Truth is Revealed

The phone rang. Maurice dreaded looking at the caller I.D.

She'd known that Juno would go after Arthur. She was _afraid_ that Juno would go after Arthur. She didn't know the whole story, but she had a bad feeling that her grandniece would be in danger if she went through the portal.

And along with Juno sneaking away, there would have to be a cover-up. A really good one, too.

And Maurice wasn't sure if she could make one up in the blink of an eye.

"Hello, Judy," she answered, trying to contain the nervousness in her voice.

"Hello, Maurice! How are things there?"

"Oh, they're…no less crazy than usual. And you?"

"It's…quiet. I think Tracey secretly misses her."

"I HEARD THAT!" came the muffled voice of Tracey on the other line. Maurice couldn't help but giggle.

"Well, it sounds like you may be right."

"Yeah…is Juno awake yet?"

"No." Maurice felt her palms get sweaty. "She's still sleeping. You know teenagers…always sleeping late."

"Well, when she wakes up, call me, okay?"

"Okay. Bye."

"Bye."

Maurice hung up the phone and put her head in her hands. She peeked through her fingers at Alfred.

"We're in some deep water, Alfred."

.........

Tracey stalked into Key's, not wanting to be messed with. She wanted to see Matthew Zarra and she wanted to see him NOW.

He was the only friend she could talk to about her sister. The truth was she missed her like crazy. But before she could admit it to herself, she needed to admit it to the one person who wouldn't judge her.

"Is Matt Zarra here?" she asked the cashier.

"Excuse me, who?"

"Matthew Zarra? He works here?"

"I'm sorry, miss…there's no one of that name here."

"But…he was here all last week and—"

"Miss, you must have the wrong place. Now, are you going to buy something, or what?"

.........

Mrs. Davidson had her cellphone with her the whole day, waiting for Maurice to call back. She hadn't talked to Juno since the previous night, and although she knew that her daughter was perfectly fine, she still wanted to hear her voice.

The minutes turned to hours slowly but surely. All she could do was wait.

Maurice cringed when the phone rang again.

"Yes, Judy?"

"Where's Juno?"

.........

Tracey opened the door to see her mother sitting on the couch, her eyes wide. Her father was sitting across in the easy chair.

"Mom? Dad?"

"Tracey." Her mother was on the verge of tears. "There's something we have to tell you."

Tracey felt her stomach flip-flop. "What…what's wrong?"

"It's about Juno, honey."

She felt herself sit next to her mother. "What happened?"

.........

Maurice looked at Alfred as he cocked his head at her.

"Don't look at me like that."

He continued to stare.

"I had to tell them the truth. No matter how much it shocked them. They need to know where their daughter is."

.........

A skinny figure walked through the tunnels into a cavernous hole. He grinned, bearing his sharp, dirty teeth.

"And now…it begins."


	23. IN WHICH Juno Proves Herself

CHAPTER NINTEEN: IN WHICH Juno Proves Herself

Juno had been aware that if she went to find Arthur without telling anyone, there'd be consequences.

She just didn't realize that they'd be so…strange.

As soon as they were done celebrating, Arthur and Beta led Juno and Hector through the tunnels to the town square of the Minimoy kingdom. A feast was already taking place to welcome Arthur and Archibald back, and you can imagine the surprise as one of the guests of honor came back with two strangers.

After Arthur and Beta had done some explaining (with Juno, Archibald and Hector filling in at times), the King had much to ponder. He finally spoke after a few minutes.

"Juno Davidson," he said in his booming voice.

She slowly made her way before the King, bewildered at how tall he was **(for those of you who've seen the movie, this is kind of an inside joke…LOL)**.

"You've graced us with your presence in a time of desperate need, Guardian of the Waves. However, I'm still undecided whether or not it is needed. My daughter, Queen Selenia, has made specific orders not to allow you to be here or anywhere near the Seven Kingdoms until the Evil M is defeated for certain."

_That's only because she hates me_, thought Juno, but thought better when she saw the redheaded queen glaring at her with cold eyes.

"I am aware of that, Your Majesty," Juno answered in a polite voice. "But I felt that it was mandatory for me to come. As my cousin has already told you…" – Now that she said it, it sounded childish even to her own ears – "I was worried like you wouldn't believe. I felt that I needed to come after him to make sure he was okay."

"But you came knowing that you were in danger," Selenia prompted.

"Yes…I was aware of that…" Juno said, trying hard to fight the feeling to throw something at Selenia's head.

There were murmurs in the crowd that had gathered. Juno couldn't decipher if they were of approval or of disappointment.

"And if you knew that, you know that by being here, you're also putting everyone else in danger," Selenia continued, the hint of a smirk hovering on her lips.

"Again, yes, I was aware. But—"

"But nothing! Father, being the Queen of the Minimoy people, I hereby COMMAND that she and the military cadet Hector T. Wilson be sent back to the humans. The matter at hand is too lethal for someone of their experience to handle." She eyed Juno, the smug smile finally appearing. "I suggest that they leave at once."

The smile pushed Juno over the edge. "Okay, you know what, you selfish, self-absorbed, conceited brat?! You're not the only one who cares for Arthur! You need to face the fact that I'm part of the picture now, too! And another thing, I may be a very hormonal teenager, but I'm not completely oblivious! It's called I can learn things! The tall creepy people outside said that I have seven days to stop that ugly guy from completely destroying the Seven Kingdoms. That's plenty of time to learn stuff. So, please! Just listen to me!"

A shocking silence had settled over the crowd. Selenia had her arms folded, her lips pressed tightly in a thin line. The King shifted uncomfortably on his throne. Arthur made his way over to his cousin.

"Juno…I, um, think they got the point."

"That we have," the King said, finding his voice. "Juno, you have broken several rules just by making that speech, including slandering Minimoy royalty—"

"Which is exactly why she should now be banished from the Seven Kingdoms," Selenia said icily. "Bad-mouthing royalty is asking for a death penalty."

"However, she has shown dedication and concern, which are qualities that show that she may be ready to help defeat the Evil M."

Selenia's face became rigid. "Father, you'd better not say—"

"Let me save you the trouble," Juno said suddenly. She sighed. "Your Majesties…I'm sorry I blew up like that. I've just been…stressed out over the past few days. And I shouldn't be taking it out on you or anyone else."

She turned to Arthur. "Arthur…I'm sorry. I shouldn't have followed you. So…I think it's time Hector and I went back."

"Juno…are…are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure. I really don't want to leave, but by being here, I'm only making things worse for everyone. And that's not fair to you or these people."

She looked at Hector. "Come on, Hector…let's go home."

Juno and Hector began to walk away when they heard the sound of clapping. It slowly grew as more and more people joined in, and soon all in the room were applauding (except for Selenia, of course).

"Juno Davidson," the King said with a smile on his face, "you have truly shown that you are ready to stay and help us save the Seven Kingdoms."

Juno blinked a few times. "What?"

Arthur's eyebrows shot up. "What?"

Selenia's eyes narrowed. "What?"

"By deciding to leave, Juno has made a sacrifice, and willingly making a sacrifice for others is a quality we value very highly. Sacrifice is also the ultimate form of the Guardian of the Waves' power."

"Father, please, don't tell me—"

"Juno Davidson, you are allowed to stay and complete your training, and you shall accompany my daughter, Queen Selenia, and her husband, King Arthur, on their quest to defeat the Evil M and regain the Aqua Orb."

The crowd exploded in applause once again. Juno had no time to think as the Minimoys began to carry her on their shoulders. She was soon crowd surfing, something she'd always wanted to try, but would have never imagined that it would happen like this.

She saw Arthur, Beta, Archibald (who was still eating food) and Hector, all standing in a row, smiling. "You did it, Juno!" Arthur called.

"Um, that's great!" she called back. "But…can you ask them to put me down now?"


	24. IN WHICH The Plot Thickens Sort Of

CHAPTER TWENTY: IN WHICH The Plot Thickens (Sort Of)

"Bend your knees just a bit more."

Juno felt herself go into half of a sitting position. "Like this?"

"Perfect."

Suddenly Juno found herself in one-on-one combat. She held her sword firmly as she blocked every blow that came at her. She had the impulse to just go off on a tangent and swing her sword repeatedly – like she did when she played a video game at home.

But this wasn't a video game.

It was real.

She suddenly felt the sword come out of her hands and her instructor's sword inches from her throat. The sword was lowered, and her instructor shook her head.

"Honestly, Juno," she said, "didn't I tell you that you must have your head in the game AT ALL TIMES?"

"Sorry, Laureline," Juno apologized. "I was just thinking about things."

"You can't be 'thinking about things' when you're in battle - unless, of course, it's your next move. It's like chess. You always have to be thinking ahead of your opponent." She handed back Juno's sword.

"You know…I never really liked chess."

Laureline laughed. "Well, get used to thinking ahead. It might just be able to save you in tough situations."

Juno sighed and got ready for another round of sword fighting.

.........

"So…how'd it go?" Arthur looked at her expectantly.

"It…was fine…" Juno said, going down the table of buffet-style food. "I mean, I've never been one for swords…or magic…but…it's fine. A lot more fun that driving, I'll give it that much."

"That's good," Arthur said, sighing with relief. "Selenia told me that she thought you wouldn't get passed combat training."

Juno almost dropped her plate. "She said _what_?"

Arthur looked at his feet. "Um…well…" he stuttered sheepishly. "It's…uh…"

"Whatever," Juno muttered, turning her back on her cousin. "Just get some food and let's go sit somewhere. I suddenly have the urge to get back to training."

.........

Tracey sat at dinner that night, unable to touch her food. She couldn't stop thinking about her older sister and where she was.

"She's not pulling your leg?" she asked. "Juno's honestly with…tooth-sized elves?"

"Yes, Tracey!" Mrs. Davidson snapped. "For the seven-hundredth time, yes!"

"Judy…" Mr. Davidson cautioned. "She just asked a question."

"It's a bit hard to answer people when your oldest daughter's in potential danger, Bill!"

"Now, hold on a minute. She didn't say Juno was in any danger—"

"I have mother intuition, Bill. I can tell that Juno's in trouble. And I can't just sit here, night after night, worrying about her! We have to go over there and help."

"Mom…" Tracey said quietly. "Shouldn't we let Juno figure this one out by herself?"

"Why on earth would you say something like that?"

"She's fifteen, Mom. And she knows more about fantasy stuff like this than the three of us put together. I think she'll be okay."

"It doesn't mean I can't miss her," her mother answered, tears in her eyes.

"I know, Mom," Tracey mumbled. "I know."

.........

"I can't believe this," Selenia said to herself, sitting huffily on a slab of rock.

"You can't believe what?" Beta asked, planting himself next to her.

She glared at him, her eyes narrowed. "What do you care?"

"Can't I wonder about my sister?"

"Shut up."

"Seriously, what's got you so cranky?"

Selenia growled. "That little…_flounder_ is improving. She's…succeeding faster than I thought she would."

Beta seemed confused. "Isn't that a good thing? We'll need all the help we can get if we want to defeat the Evil M."

"Yeah, well…Arthur seems to be spending a lot of time with her. He's barely spent any with me."

"You guys are training side-by-side—"

"You know what I mean, Betameche."

Beta shook his head. "Just tell him how you feel."

"I wouldn't want him knowing I'm jealous because he's always with…that water witch," she practically spat.

"You're gonna have to tell him sooner or later," Beta reminded her. "After all…we only have six days until all of them have to back."

"Don't remind me," she said, getting up and walking away.


	25. IN WHICH Juno Gets Into a Fight

_Hey, everyone! Guess what? I'm not dead! (LOL I'm guessing that's what y'all were thinking!) And I'm back! Thanks to those of you who've reviewed in the past few months (and for 082 Martian Scout's help), I've been able to get back on my feet and update! I'll probably do so once a week; I still have to go to school and do my homework, you know. Plus I have a Where The Wild Things Are fanfic I'm working on._

_Anyway, thanks a ton to 082 Martian Scout for helping me with this chapter! It was actually his idea that the Evil M could hypnotize people, and I'm using one of his descriptions with his permission (it's the one in parenthesis). I hope you guys enjoy!_

Chapter Twenty-One: IN WHICH Juno Gets Into a Fight

Six guards-in-training guarded the front gate at all times. They were preparing for higher ranks in the Minimoy court. The way the six who were there presently were performing, it would be a long time before they rose from their present statuses.

"I'm bored," one said, picking his ear.

"I'm hungry," said another. "When's lunch?"

"We just had it, smart one!" said the first.

"Yeah, but they didn't have anything good!" piped up a third. "Just lettuce sandwiches. Third day in a row! Where's the variety?"

"Yeah!" the second one said. "What's up with that?"

"Shut up!" said a fourth. "I'm tired of you guys complaining!"

"We're tired of you yelling at us!" said the fifth. "You're not in charge!"

The five of them started yelling at once, waking the sixth from his nap.

"HEY!" he shouted, the others falling silent. "What's the deal? I was trying to sleep here!"

"Yeah, and you're gonna get in trouble if you continue…" muttered the first guard. He looked at the sixth and noticed that he wasn't listening.

"What's wrong with you? Didn't you hear what…"

The sixth's mouth was wide open. The other five looked to where his glazed eyes were staring, and shortly they all followed his lead. Standing in front of them was a gorgeous woman. She had a lithe figure, which bent gracefully like a tulip. Her shiny black hair hang over her shoulders, and her eyes were a stunning shade of blue.

"Hello, boys," she said, smiling.

No one said a thing. One of the guards began to drool.

"I was just wondering if you kind gentlemen could allow me to pass through," she said, walking closer. "I've come _such_ a long way, you know…"

The six guards burst into action, fighting each other for the lever that opened the gate.

"Well, you boys open the gate, and I'll just get my hat on…" she said, pulling out a hat with a huge red ruby in the center.

"Wait…" said one of the guards. "What does the hat have to do with…"

He never got the chance to say it. Thin red beams shot out of the ruby and hit all of the guards in the eyes. (As the beams of red light flashed into their eyes, their expressions went blank and dull, as their arms drooped to their sides. They could do no more than stare helplessly into the shining jewel on the woman's head, as their minds were left blank and empty, every thought vanished and was replaced with obedience and loyalty to their new master.)

The woman was now slowly shifting into someone else – someone with leathery gray skin, sharp teeth and claws, and a wicked demeanor. Malthazard grinned evilly as the six guards continued to stare at his hat.

"You are now under my control," he told the guards.

"We are now under your control," the guards repeated in monotone.

"You will open the gate for me."

The guard nearest to the lever pulled it, and the gates swung open. "We will open the gate for you," the guards said.

"Excellent," Malthazard said, passing through and motioning for the guards to follow him. "Most excellent."

.........

Juno sat on the ground, frustrated. Her training hadn't been improving much, and everyone was becoming disappointed in her. She was trying to stay focused, but her mind continued to wander to her family back home, probably sick with worry.

"Juno?" Arthur was now standing in front of her.

"Oh. Hey." She didn't even try to disguise the sadness in her voice.

"Everything okay? You haven't gone to training all day."

"Yeah. I decided I'm not going anymore."

Arthur raised his eyebrows. "What?"

"Don't look so shocked, Arthur. This isn't what I was meant to do. This is your thing, not mine. There are only five days left to get the Aqua Ball or whatever back—"

"Aqua Orb," Arthur corrected.

"I'm not nearly as ready as I thought I'd be. So…I think it would be best if Hector and I go back now."

"Juno…"

"Dude, the way things are going, I'm gonna be butchered in battle! If the Evil M came barging in here, I'd be dead in five seconds!"

Screams were heard from the town square, followed by the sound of marching feet.

"I had to open my mouth…" Juno mumbled to herself.

"Your Majesty!" Hector called, running up. "The Evil M has broken through the gates!"

"WHAT?"

"We must get the Guardian of the Waves to safety straight away!"

"Fine with me!" Juno began to run in the direction of the palace.

"Juno!"

She turned back and saw Arthur looking angry. She slunk back, suddenly afraid.

"What?"

"Why are you running away like that?"

"You heard what Pint-Size here just said: I'm not supposed to fight. Heck, I'm not gonna get my head chopped off by some wrinkly prune guy!"

"Juno," Arthur said seriously. "This is your chance to prove to everyone that you staying wasn't for nothing. I know you can do this!"

"I don't know…I think I'd rather stay behind…"

"I'll be right there to help you, okay?" Arthur promised.

"Well…okay." She turned to Hector. "If you blab about this to anyone, you'll be sorry."

"That I will, ma'am," he said as the two cousins walked off.

.........

The scene going on in the town square was chaotic. Everyone was trying to get away from the palace guards, who had become minions of the Evil M and were terrorizing the Minimoys. Selenia was already engaged in an epic fight, turning a three-sixty and wiping out all of the guards in her way.

"Is it too late to turn back?" Juno asked hopefully. "I mean, your girlfriend seems to have things covered."

Arthur pulled out his sword. "I don't think so. The Evil M can probably sense you're here, so there's no point in going back now. He'll stop at nothing until he obtains your power."

Juno stared at him. "So that's a definite no?"

Arthur gave a frustrated sigh. "Just get your sword out!" he called exasperatedly as he ran to join the battle.

_**Okay, Juno**_, she thought as she brandished her sword. _**You can do this. Just swing at all the bad guys and you're good…**_

She let out a scream. Some of the minions had surrounded her. "This is the one," one of them said. "We must take her back to our Master."

"Wait…you guys are the guards. You can't be mindless zombies!"

"We work for our Master," another stated. "Only for our Master."

_**Where have I seen something like this before?…Oh! They must be hypnotized! Great. Some of our best defenders are under the control of some wrinkly old creep. Could this get any worse?**_

They reached out their arms. "Get the Guardian," they chanted. "Get the Guardian."

"Stay back!" she said. "I…I've got a sword!" She held it out, trying to decide how to attack.

One of the guards grabbed ahold of her. She tried to pull free, but his grip was tight. "LET GO!" she shouted, using her free hand to push him away.

Water from a nearby pond came whooshing out and smacked the guard in the face. He fell backwards, staring up at the dirt ceiling. "Ow," he said in monotone.

Juno stared at her hands. Since she had the power over water, she could use it to her advantage.

"I could have some fun with this…" she said to herself, a grin appearing on her face.

The other guards were advancing fast. She motioned for the pond water to wash over the guards, knocking them over like a stack of dominoes. She threw in some karate kicks she'd seen in the movies, and was surprised that they worked.

"Oh, yeah!" she cheered when all the guards who had been attacking her were all laying on the floor. "Who rules? I do! I kicked your butts! That's right!"

She stopped mid-cheer when she saw someone staring at her from across the field of unconscious guards. He was fearful to look at, and his beady eyes seemed to bore into her soul. Even with all the chaos still surrounding them, Juno didn't notice any of it; all she could do was stare back at the figure.

"Juno Davidson," the Evil M said menacingly. "Guardian of the Waves. I see you live up to your title." He gestured to the guards.

She was speechless. She tried to think of something witty to say, but her mouth was frozen. This guy was way too scary to mess with.

"I'm going to make you a deal," he said. "I can make this battle end with a snap of my fingers. All of this will go away. You won't have to worry about training anymore."

"What's the catch?" she asked automatically. She knew bargains were never what they seemed in realms like this.

"Smart girl," he said. "In order for me to make them cease their attack, you will have to come with me. You will teach me how to use the power of the Aqua Orb."

"That's what I thought," she said, her confidence restoring itself. "Look, dude, I may have had only two days of training, but I'm not completely clueless. And I don't care about your dumb Aqua Pod or whatever it is. So you can just turn your wrinkly little butt around because I'm not giving into anything you say."

The Evil M seemed to be considering this. "Very well," he said finally. "It's clear that you will not see reason." The ruby in his hat began to glow.

"Wait...what are you--"

"JUNO! LOOK OUT!"

Arthur and Selenia came barreling out of nowhere. The Evil M let out a cry of agony, which meant one of them must have struck him.

"Come on, Juno! We gotta get you out of here!" Beta had suddenly appeared at her feet and started to pull her away from the battle.

"But...but..." Juno couldn't make out a full sentence; she was still in a state of shock.

"Hector tipped Father off that you were out here, so he sent me to get you."

"I told him not to--" Juno began, furious.

"Just follow me and don't look at the M's hat! It's been hypnotizing the guards!"

That was easier said than done. The temptation to look behind and see how Arthur and Selenia were holding up was starting to get the better of her. But each time she tried to turn around, she remembered that it would mean certain death for everyone.

As soon as they were far enough away and under the watchful protection of Archibald and the King, Beta allowed Juno to turn around. It looked as if the Evil M had gotten away; Arthur and Selenia were now in combat with some of the guards.

"Where'd he--"

"There!" Beta pointed to an opening in a wall far across the square. The Evil M was escaping into it.

"You haven't seen the last of me, Guardian," she heard him say before disappearing. "I will get you if it's the last thing I do."

Juno shuddered. "I can't believe him."

"Believe who?" Beta asked.

"Didn't you hear him? The Evil M?"

"What are you talking about, dear?" Archibald inquired.

"He just told me that he'll get me eventually." She stared after the hole, suddenly aware of the danger she was in. "If it's the last thing he does."


	26. IN WHICH Decisions Are Made

Chapter Twenty-Two: IN WHICH Decisions Are Made

After the guards who had been hypnotized were sent to the hospital wing of the kingdom, Juno was asked to recount, exactly, what had happened during the raid for the Minimoys. She tried her best to sort things out; she was still a bit shaken up about what the Evil M had said to her.

"You haven't seen the last of me, Guardian. I will get you if it's the last thing I do."

How far would he go to obtain the power that was such a big deal to everyone? She didn't even want it anymore; she'd never wanted it. She was willing to give it up, as long as it meant that she could go back home to Minnesota and pretend none of this had ever happened.

She raised her hand. "Um, Mr. King Sir?"

He looked down from his perch on the throne. "What is it, Juno?"

"I've come to a decision." She turned and faced the people gathered, knowing that she was letting them down in a huge way. "I want to renounce my powers."

A huge gasp resounded through the crowd. Arthur paled, Archibald raised his eyebrows; Beta and Hector exchanged anxious looks. Selenia laughed harshly and walked up to her.

"You cannot renounce your powers!" she said matter-of-factly. "It's the law! It's your birthright! You were chosen to be the Guardian of the Waves, and you have to live up to your name whether you like it or not."

Juno felt a cold chill envelop her. There really was no way out of this?

"Well…" Beta said uncomfortably. "There's that _one _way—"

"_Betameche_." Selenia glared dangerously at her brother. "Don't say a word."

"Selenia, Beta," the King said calmly. "I believe that the Guardian has a right to know."

He turned to Juno. "As Prince Betameche has stated, there is a way the Guardian can withdraw from the power that binds her to the Aqua Orb. The Guardian must choose another to pass her abilities to and recite a simple incantation in order to transfer the power."

"That's it?" Juno arched her eyebrows. "Seems simple enough."

"There's a catch," the King continued. "Withdrawing from your powers is a great responsibility – a responsibility that comes with a price."

Juno gulped. She didn't like this idea all of a sudden.

"If you choose to give your powers to another, you will not only lose your ability to control water, but also your life."

Another gasp rose up from the crowd. Juno's eyes widened.

"So…if I do that…I'm gonna, like…die?"

"Precisely. Water is your source of energy, therefore your lifeline, as well. Without that lifeline, you will surely perish."

Juno shifted from foot to foot uncomfortably. "So I'm guessing that's not an option?"

"GUESSING?" Arthur looked at her as if she were insane. "Of course it's not an option! How can you even think it would be?"

Juno didn't say anything. She knew if she opened her mouth again, something would come out wrong, and she'd make everyone even more upset.

"Now that that's settled," the King said, "there's still the matter of the expedition. We only have five days until the Guardian must return to her own world, and if she is to get the Aqua Orb back within that time, the expedition group must leave today."

Selenia stepped forward. "As Queen of the Minimoys, I feel that it is in everyone's best interest if Arthur and I go, Father."

"And leave me here?" Juno asked, miffed.

"Possibly." Selenia considered this option, seeming to favor it.

"Juno," Arthur said, "if you end up staying, it's for the best. What if some of M's minions attack while we're gone?"

"Hello, that's what guards are for!"

"Hello, most of them are in the hospital wing!" Selenia shot back.

Juno's temper boiled. "That battle made me realize that even with my two days of training, I can make it up as I go along. Which, now that I think about it, is one of my strong points. You saw how well I was doing by myself."

"And you would have gotten hypnotized if Arthur and I hadn't stepped in," Selenia pointed out.

"Well, who said I was going to do this alone?" Juno smiled triumphantly, knowing that she'd made her point very clear.

"Selenia…" Arthur gave her a pleading look.

"What, you think she's ready?" Selenia asked incredulously.

"I know she is." Arthur smiled encouragingly at his cousin.

"It's settled, then," the King said. "Selenia, Arthur, and Juno will depart together to retrieve the Aqua Orb."

"What about me?" Beta asked. "I wanna come, too!"

"You're staying here," Selenia said. "I'm not having both you _and _the Guardian come."

"But my knife was really handy the last time!" Beta whined. "And I'm a whole year older now! Please, Dad?"

"Why not?" Arthur asked. "That knife of his is pretty useful."

"Absolutely not," Selenia argued. "I don't want him coming."

Hector stepped forward. "I believe that I would have to come, as well," he stated. "I'm the bodyguard of the Guardian, and I have been given strict orders not to let her out of my sight, Your Highness."

"Too bad," Juno said. "You're not coming." She wanted an excuse to be rid of Hector, and was glad that one had finally arose.

She looked to Arthur and Selenia for support, but found none. In fact, Selenia seemed to be doing a volte-face at the thought of Hector coming.

"Father, I have made a decision." She sighed, and it was clear that this decision was very difficult for her. "Beta and the cadet Hector may accompany us if they choose."

"Yes!" Beta pumped his fist in the air and high-fived Hector. "We're coming with! This is gonna be awesome!"

"Hold it," Selenia said. "Just because you're in doesn't mean you can do whatever you want. I'm the oldest; I'm in charge."

"No you're not," Juno fake-coughed, then said in a normal voice, "I just turned fifteen."

"I have much more experience than you do." Selenia's eyes narrowed. "So, technically, I'm older that way."

"Well, you know what?" Juno asked, advancing on her.  
Arthur submerged himself between them. "You two need to stop. We can't have this kind of disagreements on the trip!"

Selenia and Juno weren't listening. They were clawing at each other, trying to wrestle around Arthur.

"ENOUGH!" Archibald said. The three turned to look at him.

"Arthur's right," he said. "You two need to put your differences aside and work together. It's the only way for sure that you can succeed. Bonds like these are key to the defeat of the Evil M." He gave a pointed look at both Selenia and Arthur.

Selenia reluctantly stopped struggling. "Your grandfather possesses much wisdom," she said stiffly to Arthur. "And although I hate to admit it, he has a good point." She turned to Juno. "I promise not to provoke you too much while we're on our quest." She held out her hand.

Juno stared at the outstretched hand, then at the owner. She finally took it. "Yeah. Ditto. Whatever…"

"Then it's settled," the King said. "They leave in ten minutes' time!"


	27. IN WHICH the Arguing Climaxes and Stops

Chapter Twenty-Three: IN WHICH The Arguing Climaxes and Stops

_Thwack! _

Juno gave another frustrated sigh as yet another blade of grass hit her in the face. Each time they neared a low-hanging piece, the person in front would hold it back and let the others pass. Since Juno was in the very back, no one else noticed when she got smacked in the face. She had lost track of how many times this had happened, but she knew that it was probably happening on purpose.

They had left the Minimoys only twenty minutes ago. They had gone through the tunnels and out into the sunlight, which was blinding. Selenia kept complaining that they would be farther along if Beta hadn't packed so much, to which Beta responded with, "You never know what's gonna happen out there."

_Thwack!_

"Okay," Juno said. "Who keeps doing that?"

"Who's doing what, ma'am?" Hector asked, standing erect.

"Hitting me in the face with a piece of grass!" She was irritated, and it came out louder than she'd intended.

"Calm down," Selenia said in a scolding manner. "We don't need attention being drawn to ourselves."

"I'm not gonna shut up until I know who's doing that!" Juno said, raising her voice slightly. "Who's in the front?"

All three boys slowly lifted their arms and pointed at Selenia.

"Of course," Juno said. "What a surprise."

"You need to be faster," Selenia said sharply.

"And that's your excuse for continuing to hit me in the face with blades of grass?"

"Girls," Arthur said warningly. "Remember what Grandpa said."

"It's hard when _she's_ being difficult," Selenia grumbled.

"You're both being difficult," Arthur said, noticing that Juno was about to retort Selenia's answer. "And you both need to knock it off before we turn this expedition around and go home."

Juno stared at him. "You wouldn't."

Arthur glared at her, and she was taken aback. "Try me."

"Ooooh…" Beta and Hector said.

"He didn't ask for your input," Selenia growled. "It'd be best if you two keep quiet!"

"And that rule doesn't apply to you?" Juno asked.

"Okay, that's it," Arthur said, frustrated. "No talking for the next ten minutes!"

"But—" the other four protested.

"NO TALKING. I'm sick and tired of all of you bickering like this! We have an important mission to complete, and all you four care about is annoying each other and getting on each other's bad side. From now on, I'm in charge of this quest, whether anyone likes it or not."

He turned around and plowed ahead into the jungle of grass. The others, bewildered, had no choice but to follow him.

.........

Ten minutes seemed more like ten hours to Juno. There was nothing to see but green, with the occasional hole from a caterpillar. She wanted to jokingly complain about their boring surroundings, but she was afraid of what Arthur might say. What was with him, anyway? He didn't understand what it was like to be a teenage girl, so he couldn't possibly get why she and Selenia were fighting.

Her thoughts were broken when she saw a huge shadow pass overhead. Looking up she saw it was a bug.

A big bug.

"OH MY GOD!"

"Relax! It's just a pachymollet," Beta said as he passed under it.

"What…how…"

"Breathe, ma'am," Hector instructed. "If you don't provoke them, they are completely harmless."

"Um, those pincers don't look harmless to me!"

"Juno, it's a centipede," Arthur said flatly.

"That doesn't really help," Juno said. She had a huge phobia of bugs, no matter how big or small they were.

"Close your eyes," Selenia commanded.

"Huh?"

The princess rolled her eyes. "Don't question me. Just do it."

Juno shut her eyes, not giving it a second thought. She felt someone take her arm and guide her across the ground. A few seconds later, Selenia told her to open her eyes. She did so, and she was once again faced with the bland forest of blades.

"Where did…"

"We just went by it," Selenia explained. "Wasn't so hard, was it?"

Juno didn't know what to say. Selenia had just…helped her out. She had broken her mean streak and helped her. Was this part of Selenia's plan to annoy her? Had she just thrown her off-guard, only to follow it up with another attack?

"Thank you," Juno found herself saying.

"I was scared my first time, too," Selenia said unfeelingly, but Juno thought she saw a smile playing across her face.

"Nice to see you two finally getting along," Arthur said as he walked by.

.........

"We won't make it to the Station Master tonight," Beta announced, studying his map. "I think we should stop and make camp for the night."

"Oh, no! That's why I just prepared this flower for no reason!" Selenia mock-whined, securing a tulip with a rope.

"Do you two have to sleep on opposite sides?" Arthur asked, the warning tone in his voice coming out.

"We're…sleeping in a flower?" Juno asked.

"We did it last time," Beta said. "They're very comfortable, actually."

"Indeed!" Hector declared. "If you would just step this way, miss…"

"Thanks," Juno said, scooting away from Hector. "But I think I got this." She stepped into the flower, closely followed by the cadet.

When everyone was inside, Selenia cut the rope and up they went. Beta fished two floating lights from his backpack and promptly fell asleep.

"Poor kid," Arthur remarked.

Beta's snoring was joined by Hector's, and the flower was filled with their harmonizing noises.

"Too bad no one brought earplugs," Juno mumbled.

"You could say that again," Selenia agreed.

"Does he do this all the time?"

"It's usually worse. Sometimes, he even talks in his sleep!"

Juno giggled. "What does he talk about?"

"Food…playing pranks on me…food…"

"No surprise there."

They both realized that Arthur was watching them with a smirk on his face. They turned to face him. "What?" they asked together.

"I knew you guys would have something in common."

"We do not!" they said together.

"Then why are you saying the same things?"

"Because…" They stopped, embarrassed.

"See? Now you guys _have_ to admit it."

"I'm not admitting anything," Juno said.

"I'm with the Guardian," Selenia said. "And I don't know about her, but I'm very tired. And I plan to get up very early tomorrow." She turned to Juno. "Good night."

"'Night."

"Good night, Arthur." She leaned in, but Juno didn't see the rest. She had to cover her eyes and hum loudly in order to escape the scene happening before her.

When Selenia had finally fallen asleep, Arthur tiptoed over to where Juno was getting settled. "Hey, Juno?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for getting along with her. It means a lot to me."

"Your welcome. And…I'm sorry I was annoying you earlier. I guess I'm still not used to…all of this."

Arthur smiled. "It takes a while. But you'll get it."

Juno scoffed. "Yeah, right. You're talking to the girl who freaked out at a ten-foot tall centipede and didn't even bother to finish her combat training."

"Like I said, you'll get it. I know you."

"I hope you're right."

Arthur sighed. "Are you always this stubborn?"

"You want stubborn? Spend a day with Tracey. Her middle name is stubborn."

Arthur laughed, then grew quiet. "You think your family knows?"

"About…this?"

"Yeah."

Juno shrugged. "I don't know. Auntie Maurice must have come up with a good excuse. My mom calls, like, every hour on the hour. She'd freak if she knew I were here."

Arthur nodded. "Are you ever gonna tell them?"

"Maybe someday," Juno said, unsure. "I don't know. They wouldn't believe me. They just think I'm going through an angsty time right now. You know…being a teenager and all."

"Would Tracey believe you?"

"She might. She knows about the water situation. She's a smart kid; she can put two and two together. Maybe she should come and visit sometime."

"Maybe…" Arthur yawned hugely and lay down. "'Night, Juno."

"'Night, Arthur." Juno lay down, and no sooner had she done so did she fall asleep.


	28. IN WHICH They Buy Tickets

_OMG guess what everyone? I'm not dead! So don't worry!_

_LOL it's the end of the year, so please cut me some slack. Everyone's super busy at this time of the year, and I have tests to study for, and other things to do...but I pushed myself to get this done! So here it is! Enjoy!_

...

Chapter Twenty-Four: IN WHICH They Buy Tickets

This was something new. For a second, it looked as if Matt Zarra were standing a few feet from her.

"Juno?" He looked very worried about something.

Oh, wait. It actually _was _Matt Zarra.

But…what was he doing here? Why didn't he look Minimized? How did he even know about this place?

"Matt?"

"Juno, you have to hurry!" he said urgently. "The Evil M kidnapped me and won't let me go! You have to stop him!"

"What?" This was all too much for her to handle. Something about this just didn't seem right.

"Hurry, Juno!" Matt repeated. "Hurry!"

...

"Hurry and get up already!"

Someone was shaking her.

_Oh, no! It's the Evil M! _she thought sleepily. He wasn't going to kidnap her.

"GET OFF ME!" she screamed, kicking the "Evil M" away.

"Ouch!"

Juno sat up – or tried to. The flower started to rock from the force she'd exerted in kicking…

"Beta?"

He sat up, rubbing his head and playing with his hair. "What was that all about? You know, I try to be nice to you, and you pay me back by kicking me in the face?"

"Sorry," Juno said. "Bad dream."

"What about?" Arthur asked. "It had to be terrible if it made you attack Beta like that."

"It was about a friend back home," Juno said, shaking slightly in fear. "Matt. He told me the Evil M is holding him hostage."

"It's a trap," Selenia stated bluntly. "The Evil M couldn't have traveled all the way to Mini Soda and back without us knowing."

"It's _Minnesota_…but do you really think so?" Juno asked.

"I'm sure."

"That would explain why Matt didn't look Minimized…" Juno shrugged. "I guess it doesn't mean anything."

"I think you're worried, is all," Arthur explained. "You don't know what's going on back home and you're worried."

"Oh. Okay." She figured if it was as simple as that, then it wasn't a huge issue.

"Let's head out, cadets!" Hector called. "We have a long ways to go today."

"Where _are_ we going today, anyway?" Juno asked.

"We're going to get our tickets," Selenia said. "From the ticket office."

...

"Gunner residence, Carly speaking."

"Hi, it's Tracey…Juno's sister?"

"Oh, right." Tracey noticed that Carly seemed a little disappointed. She wasn't going to bother with it right now.

"I see your phones are working again," Tracey said, lamely trying to make conversation.

"Yeah, my parents just got them and the computer fixed. And I was actually gonna call Geri before you-"

"Look, you eat at Key's, right?"

"Um…duh!" Carly said. "I mean, who doesn't?"

"Have you heard of a waiter named Matthew Zarra?"

Tracey had to hold the phone away from her ear as Carly omitted a squeal that was earth shattering.

"I'm guessing you have."

"He is SOOOOOOO cute!" Carly exclaimed. "It's too bad he doesn't work there anymore."

"So he DID work there! I knew it!"

"What are you talking about?"

"I went there the other day to ask where he was, but some chick behind the counter told me no one of that name ever worked there."

Carly made a disapproving sound. "She probably got blown off by him or something."

"Maybe. But…don't you think it's weird that he just…appeared? Almost out of nowhere?"

"It happens all the time, Tracey." Carly sounded annoyed, almost ready to hang up.

"Not at Key's. They let you know if someone's new. And would they have someone helping him with orientation or whatever?"

"I hate to admit it," Carly said, "but you have a point there."

"And wasn't there something...something odd about him?"

"If by odd you mean totally gorgeous."

"I mean that he always seemed to know what was going on in your life and he was always willing to listen."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"Isn't it just kind of strange?"

"Well…maybe a little."

"See?"

"Is there a reason you called me? And where's Juno?"

Tracey took a deep breath. "That's what I wanted to talk to you about."

"Is everything okay?" Carly's voice became panicked. "Is Juno okay?"

"I…I have no idea."

"What do you…?"

"You might want to sit down for this," Tracey advised. "It's a long story."

...

"This is it?" Juno asked. She had been expecting it to be a little…neater. The front yard was covered with vines and overgrown grass.

"Yeah, he's lazy," Beta said. "This looks just like it did the last time."

"Which probably means he's hiding again," Selenia grumbled.

"Hiding? Why would he do that?"

"Let's just say he isn't a people person," Arthur whispered.

"Oh."

Selenia knocked on the front door. "Hello? Anyone in there?"

Beta and Hector made a show standing on each other's shoulders, trying to see through the windows. "It doesn't look like anyone's here, your Majesty," Hector reported.

"What a scuzz ball!" Juno exclaimed. "Then why did we come here?"

"This is the only way we'll make it to Necropolis in the shortest amount of time," Selenia explained. "We only have a few days left until you, Arthur, Hector and Archibald need to go home."

"Hey, wait! I think I see something!" Arthur called, peering through a dirty window.

They all crowded around, and sure enough, Arthur was right. Someone was cowering behind a desk that sat in the middle of the room.

Selenia knocked harder. "Open up! We know you're in there!"

Still nothing. Juno was starting to get ticked off. She felt her hands begin to tingle, and before she could stop herself, water was shooting out of her hands and knocking down the door.

Everyone turned to stare at her. "How did that happen?" Beta asked.

"Um…moment of rage?" she supplied. She really didn't know how it had happened.

"Hey!" called a short man with a big busy moustache and an Italian accent. "I just had that fixed, you know!"

He came out and looked at the five of them. "Oh, no! Not you again! Sorry, but I'm not helping this time!"

"Yes, you are," Selenia said, drawing her sword. "Do you want me to cut another hole in your office?"

The man simply pushed the sword tip away from his face. "That kind of force doesn't scare me anymore. I'm terribly sorry, but all of you will just have to find some other way to Necropolis, because I'm not gonna do it!"

Juno was getting angrier at each word he said. Her hands were tingling again, and she saw they glowed a faint blue.

"Listen, Mr. Italian Job," she said hotly. "You're getting us to where the Evil M is, or maybe I'll have to knock down your fine establishment!" Her voice rose, and she felt water trickling from her fingers.

This was obviously enough to scare the living daylights out of him. "How many do you need?"

"Five," Juno said, following him triumphantly into his office.


	29. Farewell from the Author

A note to all my loyal readers and reviewers:

I'm very, very sorry I haven't been updating. These past months have been very hectic for me, and I've had virtually no time to pay attention to my stories. As for Arthur, I'm sorry to say that I will not be continuing with it. Please don't hate me or flame me because of that; I've honestly hit a dead end with the story, and I would delete it entirely, but I think that would just be adding insult to injury. If anyone wishes to take up the legacy that is Arthur 2: The Quest for the Aqua Orb, message me and let me know. I feel like I'm letting you guys down, but all I can do is tell the truth, and the truth is that after debating for a long, long time, I've decided that Arthur is no longer something I love to do; it feels more like a priority. I know that there will be those of you who will hate me for what I've said, but I don't know what else to do. I'm done with this story; I can't think of anything more to write.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. And thank you for being so kind in your reviews and your support. It means the world to me to know that someone loves the stories I write. J

I wish you well,

Elphie


	30. IMPORTANT UPDATE

Another note from me:

neither . sora . chan messaged me and has informed me that she is unable to take up Arthur for me. So the post is still open if anyone is interested. Message me and let me know!

~Elphie


End file.
